Birdman is Batman

This is probably going to be one of the more controversial blogs I write.  The great thing about being a film fan is getting into debates with people about movies.  Just because I love a movie does not mean anyone else does.  All art is subjective.  I thoroughly love the movie Birdman, but I do not necessarily think that it deserved all the accolades that other people thought it did. 

Birdman is the story of an actor’s struggle to branch off from doing superhero movies by doing theatre.  Whether Michael Keaton will admit this or not, this movie is basically a commentary on his career.  I am not saying this is a good or a bad thing.  What I am saying is that, for me personally, this particular aspect actually made me enjoy the movie even more.

Michael Keaton plays Riggan Thomson.  Essentially, Keaton is just playing a version of himself throughout the film.  Again, this is neither a good nor a bad thing.  However, the Academy Awards are not given to actors who play themselves.  If they were, then Robert Downey Jr. should win an Oscar every time he plays Tony Stark.  I am glad Keaton did not win Best Actor because he did not deserve it.  Personally, I do not even think he should have been nominated.  Do not misunderstand me, Keaton is great in the movie.  In fact, he has never been better.  He is just not Oscar great.  Maybe Jake Gyllenhall (Nightcrawler) or David Oyelowo (Selma) should have been nominated in his place. 

Alejandro G. Inarritu directed Birdman.  From a technical standpoint, this film is bloody brilliant.  The entire movie is all one shot (or at least meant to look that way) that follows Riggan in his struggle to be successful in the theatre.  The character relationships that he has along the way are what drive the story so brilliantly.  I became a fan of Inarritu overnight because of Birdman.

From a technical point of view, I personally feel that Birdman broke new ground.  This makes it one of the more interesting movies to win Best Picture.  It is one of those rare films that keeps your eyes glued to the screen no matter how many times you watch it.  I highly recommend checking this movie out.  It is like nothing you have ever seen before.