Nolan's shortest film, but also perhaps his most visceral and tense. For 100 minutes, there is virtually no reprieve from the looming danger of an unseen enemy. The horrors of war depicted in what may be the closest thing to a horror film the director will ever attempt. But even in the midst of this terror, the film celebrates the quiet heroism of camaraderie, declaring in no uncertain terms that isolation is tantamount to death. The film may take place…

In a way, BIRDMAN feels like a film that holds the average audience in contempt. It's a movie that speaks to the culture dynamics of LA vs New York, the insecurities of actors, and the tension between art and commerce, but in doing so, it speaks primarily to people in "that world," and addresses everyone else with a feeling of condescension. It's a movie in which the main character's titular alter ego turns to the camera and says "you're not…