Thoughts on the movie 'Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)'

Last Friday afternoon we went to see 'Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)' the new movie co-written, produced and directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu.

Movie poster for 'Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)'

The movie stars Michael Keaton as Riggan Thomson, a former action movie hero whose primary claim to notoriety is starring in a 3-picture superhero franchise, 'Birdman', nearly 20 years earlier.  Riggan is the writer, director, co-producer and star of a play slated for Broadway, 'What We Talk About When We Talk About Love', based on a Raymond Carver short story.  Riggan's co-producer and best friend is Jake (Zach Galifianakis) and his go-fer is his daughter Samantha (Emma Stone).   The play seems to be a 4-character drama that also features Lesley (Naomi Watts), Riggan's girlfriend Laura (Andrea Riseborough) and Mike (Edward Norton), a last minute replacement for an injured actor.

The director keeps the movie bouncing between reality, staged reality, and utter fantasy -- as Birdman and Carver encroach on Riggan's sanity.  The performances from the entire cast are uniformly excellent.  In addition to Keaton I would single out Zach Galifianakis and Emma Stone for special mention.  This story takes place at the junction where aspirations collide with reality -- tectonic plates that can crush a fragile soul -- or set it free.  Go see it if you love New York, if you love the Broadway theater, if you dare to dream.  It will make you laugh and make you care.