Needless to say, “Birdman” is an elegant film blessed by undeniable visual artistry and superb cast performances. However, it somehow falls short of its own ambitions due to its snobbish attitude and half-baked script. The illusion of watching one continuous shot for two hours straight is impressive indeed, and despite the leaps in time and space, the transitions are all handled elegantly. Other than that, it’s yet one more self-referential film about the relationship between character and man, stage and life, theater and cinema, fame and genius, art and entertainment, and so on. The first half is actually pretty convincing, as it takes its time to introduce different artists who are all linked by their desperate seek for love and approval, as well as their tendency to sabotage their own happiness. Too bad that all these characters just appear and disappear without adding anything to the film, their portraits left incomplete and their purposes unknown. The only one to get full exposure is obviously Michael Keaton’s, but he just keeps repeating himself with no character development or change of perspective whatsoever. There are fun dialogues and interesting scenes along the way, but the film as a whole felt like it could have been organized better.
Review by manicureVIP 4BlockedParent2021-08-25T13:12:42Z
Needless to say, “Birdman” is an elegant film blessed by undeniable visual artistry and superb cast performances. However, it somehow falls short of its own ambitions due to its snobbish attitude and half-baked script. The illusion of watching one continuous shot for two hours straight is impressive indeed, and despite the leaps in time and space, the transitions are all handled elegantly. Other than that, it’s yet one more self-referential film about the relationship between character and man, stage and life, theater and cinema, fame and genius, art and entertainment, and so on. The first half is actually pretty convincing, as it takes its time to introduce different artists who are all linked by their desperate seek for love and approval, as well as their tendency to sabotage their own happiness. Too bad that all these characters just appear and disappear without adding anything to the film, their portraits left incomplete and their purposes unknown. The only one to get full exposure is obviously Michael Keaton’s, but he just keeps repeating himself with no character development or change of perspective whatsoever. There are fun dialogues and interesting scenes along the way, but the film as a whole felt like it could have been organized better.