‘Birdman’ a worthy Academy Award winner

Feb. 27, 2015 | G. Michael Dobbs
news@thereminder.com

Michael Keaton stars in the Oscar-winning “Birdman,” now available on DVD.
Reminder Publications submitted photo

“Birdman” was the big Oscar winner and is out on DVD.

“Birdman (or the Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)” is a wild cinematic ride that may confuse some people who are expecting a more conventional narrative. The film plays with your audience’s anticipations with its casting of Michael Keaton playing a washed up movie star staking his life on the success of a Broadway play. Is it comedy? Is it a commentary of some sort on Keaton’s career since he played Batman?

The movie opens with a scene that blurs the line between the reality we expect the story to establish and something else: Keaton’s character Riggan is on his dressing room sitting cross-legged and levitating several feet above the ground. Is he really doing that or are we just seeing his fantasy? That choice of fantasy/hallucination or reality presents itself at several key times in the movie.

Riggan has written and directed the adaptation of a novel and is now starring in it.  His production is in trouble with one key cast member not acting up to his expectation and he needs to be replaced. Enter Edward Norton as Mike, a celebrated Broadway actor who adds both professionalism and chaos to the play.

Riggan is a mess. His daughter (Emma Stone) is acting as his assistant and both of them have substance abuse issues. He’s in a relationship with a co-star, but that clearly is just for the moment. He is pushing his financial boundaries and friendship with the play’s producer (Zach Galianakis).

And then there is Birdman.

Riggan hears the voice of the character in his head who constantly challenges what he is doing. Why waste his time on a play when they could be starring in another Birdman film? The physical manifestation of the character grows in the film to a pretty impressive – and mentally unhealthy – scene.

This is a film that asks of you to hold your questions until the end. Allow its quirky story to unfold and bring you into its world.

Director Alejandro González Iñárritu is best known to American audiences as the director of the 2005 drama “Babel” starring Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett. He is definitely a filmmaker with an interesting vision – he co-wrote the film – and he walks a very careful line in this film between a very real depiction of a guy teetering on the very edge of his life with the supposed fantasy of a man who has the power to move objects and flies – a man who has merged the fantasy and reality of his life.

A very talented cast surrounds Michael Keaton, but it’s his film and he plays the role as if his life was dependent upon it. I know there has been idle talk that Keaton was hired because his career has been fairly quiet in the last few years and he had played a superhero, but that’s exactly what it is. Keaton shows once again he is an actor of great force and depth.

I loved the scene in which Riggan attempts to establish some human interaction with the theater critic whose review could end his play after its initial performance. It’s a great set piece in which he goes from hope to anger and despair.

Although it may not be a film for everyone’s taste, I really enjoyed the audaciousness of “Birdman.”

Where to find the films nominated for Oscars

The best thing about the annual Oscars ceremony is that it exposed people to films they might not necessarily think about viewing. Of course, the problem today is they are not sitting down at your local video store because there is no longer a local video store.

Also back in the day, studios would re-release Oscar-winning films to theaters to capitalize on the Oscar buzz, a practice no longer done.

Locally, two films, “American Sniper” and “Still Alice,” are still in theaters.

So check out Netflix and other streaming services as well as the Redbox and anywhere else you obtain your films.

I did a quick survey to see when the films nominated at the Oscars would have some sort of home release and the results follow: “Whiplash” on Feb. 24; “Selma,” May; “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” “Boyhood,” “The Theory of Everything” “Gone Girl” and “Birdman” are currently available; “The Imitation Game,” March 15; “Foxcatcher,” March 3; “Wild,” March 31; and “Into the Woods,” March 24.

Of the animated features three are out now: “Boxtrolls,” “The Tale of the Princess Kaguya,” “How to Train Your Dragon 2” and “Big Hero Six” – are out now. “Song of the Sea” will be released March 17.

Of the foreign films only “Ida” is available. The rest have not secured release and the story is the same with the documentary features. Only “Finding Vivian Maier” is available.

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