WEB EXCLUSIVE: Staff Writer Daren Hembrador gives an indepth look into acting and directorial highlights of the film Birdman.
By: DAREN HEMBRADOR
Staff Writer
The Academy Awards, known for their prestigious recognitions and awards of various films, aired a couple days ago and one particular film caught the Academy’s attention, Birdman Or The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance.
Birdman is a dark comedy and drama film featuring various themes such as egotism, pride, fall from grace and redemption. It stars Michael Keaton who plays Riggan Thomson, an egotistic and tortured actor who tries to revive his past glories and fame while simultaneously distancing himself from his past iconic super hero role as Birdman. He does this by directing and acting in a Broadway adaptation of “What We Talk About When We Talk About Love.”Riggan is joined by Mike Shiner, portrayed by Edward Norton, a critically acclaimed and dedicated theater actor who mirrors Riggan’s ego and pride for fame and recognition. Emma Stone also stars as Sam, a recovering addict and Riggan’s distraught daughter. The drama focuses on Riggan’s attempt to find his purpose as an actor while struggling to direct Shiner, the play, and bond with his daughter.
The film captured the critics’ attention due to the pool of talented actors (Michael Keaton, Edward Norton, Emma Stone, Naomi Watts, and Zach Galifianakis), an excellent script and director Alejandro Inarritu’s bold decision to shoot the film with the illusion of one long take. Basically there are no cuts in the scenes, the long shot take was intended to give the audience the feel of attending a play. Another captivating aspect of the film was the soundtrack. The music is essentially a jazz upbeat rhythm of drums and various percussion instruments. The drums assisted in getting the audience attention through different rhythms and notes synced with specific gestures and dialogue from the actors. They also set up the tone of various scenes to guide the audience on how to feel at a particular moment.
Birdman is a unique film with choreographed scenes, both for the actors and the camera crew. This distinguishes the director’s choice of style as a trademark. Keaton’s Oscar winning performance amazed audience members, along with Norton and Stone’s performances. The movie’s flow kept the audience anticipating what would happen next.This is a movie to recommend to anyone interested in a dramatic and performance driven film.
