Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)

Now we're thoroughly in the middle of the awards season, I've been trying to catch-up on some of the big Oscar favourites from previous years and it's been interesting to see what was successful, and also to what is still remembered today. This then raises the question whether some films were truly worthy and if we were all just caught under some marketing spell at the time. From 2014 it was Alejandro G. Iñárritu's Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) that nabbed Best Picture from a strong list of contenders which included The Grand Budapest Hotel and The Theory of Everything. This one completely passed me by but when I found it on Netflix, I really wanted to see if it deserved the award and if it still holds-up fours later since the hype ended.

Alejandro G. Iñárritu's filmography isn't exactly a list of comedies with 21 Grams and Babel, but I had enjoyed watching his semi-spiritual Biutiful which starred Javier Bardem who had the ability to see the dead. His film was strange but intriguing and with Birdman he took the same approach to a washed-up actor trying to certify his name back among the public through an ambitious New York play, while haunted by the voice of a superhero character his was once famous for. And who better for the lead role than former 1980s Batman, Michael Keaton in a cruel joke but he is great as he tries to keep himself from exploding.

Birdman is a great example where arthouse meets the mainstream as the film almost spoofs celebrity culture during the current wave of superhero films while mixed in with Iñárritu's surrealist touches. This is complemented through his creative use of camera movement and long takes which effortlessly glide through this claustrophobic theatre as Keaton's character bumps heads with almost everyone around him. It's fun to watch and made even more entertaining through its talented supporting cast which includes Emma Stone and Edward Norton.

Once the credits rolled I did wonder whether this deserved to win over its tough competition but I can't deny this was very entertaining to watch and I would recommend it for anyone in search of something a bit different. However, I would try to ignore the Oscar cabinet with this one as that has often resulted in me wondering "Am I missing something?" The Oscars are mysterious and will not always make the right call but Birdman still has enough redeeming qualities to make it worth watching.