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I want to start off this review by saying that Birdman is not for everyone. I've never seen a movie get such polarizing reviews on Amazon (although it might just be because of how recent it is). This is a very strange film, similar to Being John Malkovich, and not everyone is going to enjoy that. The blending of drama and comedy might come off as awkward while the story might bore you if you're not a big fan of movies. So when I say that Birdman is not only the best movie I've seen all year, but one of my new favorite movies, know that it is entirely my opinion and not everyone will feel the same way. With that out of the way, Birdman is not only the best movie I've seen all year, but one of my new favorite movies.
Birdman tells the story of Riggan Thompson, an actor who dreamed of being a respected actor but ended up being known only for playing the superhero Birdman in the early 90's. Now washed up and forgotten, Riggan plans to revive his career by directing, writing, and starring in a play based on a Raymond Carver short story. The film follows the endless problems he faces leading up to opening night including the arrogant method actor Mike Shiner, the theater critic Tabitha Dickinson, and his own ego in the form of superhero Birdman. The story covers several different themes such as theater vs film, prestige vs popularity, the unreliability of critics, and more. The story is very well paced and there was not a single moment where I was bored. The only reason I would check my watch was because I wanted to make sure it wasn't close to ending. The actors are all very natural and believable, most notably Michael Keaton and Edward Norton. I've always liked Norton's ability to effortlessly play real people, but Keaton's performance is what really surprised me. It's that rare performance where the actor completely becomes the character. At no point during the film did I see Michael Keaton, just Riggan Thompson.
To compliment the cast is the fantastic cinematography. The entire film is made to look like one continuous shot, save for the opening and a short scene near the end. I've seen a few different theories on how the long-take relates to the film; some say it was done to replicate the feeling of watching a play, others say it was done to add to the rambling fast pace of the film, and others simply say it's a gimmick. Personally, I think it was done to feel more real and make you forget you're watching a movie. Between waking up in the morning and going to sleep at night, we view the world in one continuous shot, and I think the film was trying to replicate that experience. Sometimes when watching a movie seeing the camera cut away reminds me it's not real, but when I watch Birdman I am completely immersed and forget I am watching a film. Even ignoring the long-shot, I love that the camera is always in motion. It's not shaky or nauseating either, the way the camera moves is very fluid.
The soundtrack is great, and I'm actually listening to it as I write this review. It consists almost entirely of drums, again adding to the rambling fast pace of the film. There were a few moments where I thought it was a little too loud, such as when Riggan and Mike are walking down the streets after a preview, but it wasn't too bad. I especially loved how the drumming synced up perfectly with what was happening on screen.
The movie came in a red blu-ray case, a small detail that I loved, and I was lucky enough to get mine with a cool slipcover. Again, it's a small thing but I really loved it. Unfortunately there aren't too many bonus features, but what is there looks interesting enough. The extra "Birdman: All Access" is a mini-documentary of sorts showing behind the scenes footage like how certain scenes were filmed, some rehearsals, interviews, and more. This was extra I was most looking forward to (given how unorthodox the process of filming Birdman was) and I was not disappointed. I will update this review one I have fully looked through the rest of the bonus features.
As I said, Birdman is definitely not a movie for anyone (as the dozens of one star reviews clearly show). If you're a fan of black comedy-dramas like Fargo or Being John Malkovich, you're probably going to love this. If not, you're going to hate it. If you don't like it and plan on writing a review, I do hope you actually put some thought into it as too many of the low reviews here simply say "One star it's bad" without any real reasoning. Personally I loved Birdman, and it's already become one of my new favorite movies.
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| Additional Blu-ray options | Edition | Discs | Price | New from | Used from |
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May 4, 2015 "Please retry" | — | 1 | $6.87 | $5.56 |
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February 17, 2015 "Please retry" | O-ring | 1 |
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| $17.90 | $8.26 |
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Reviews with images
Review of the Blu-ray Edition...
I loved the movie and the Blu-ray edition is beautiful! My five star rating is for the Blu-ray edition as well as the film itself. I am not going to bore anyone with my detailed opinion of the movie (it looks like all of the posted reviews are just critical commentary on the film)--this is a PRODUCT review.The Blu-ray edition comes in a RED case with a slip cover which has a Velcro snap closing flap. When the slip cover flap is opened there is a still from the movie along with a few one-line reviews.The Blu-ray edition also comes with a digital copy. What the case says is "DIGITAL HD, Works with Ultra Violet." I don't know what any of that means as I am new to the Blu-ray world with its newfangled digital copies and whatnot, but this information seems like it is probably important to those who use this feature. ;) I am currently downloading my digital edition to iTunes.Special Features:Birdman: All Access - A behind the scenes feature approximately 33 minutes long (also on the DVD version)A Conversation with Michael Keaton and Alejandro G. Inarritu - Exactly what it sounds like, 14 minutes long (this is NOT on the DVD version)Gallery: Chivo's On-set Photography - Pretty cool collections of photos from the film and behind the scenes (also on the DVD version)Great movie, great Blu-ray. The DVD is a really cheap item with a horribly flimsy case and does not have the same special features as the Blu-ray so if you have a choice between the two I recommend spending the extra three bucks and going with Blu-ray! I ended up with both (don't even ask, hehe).
