When I was twelve I knew I wanted to become a teacher. I honestly don't know why, I just knew, it was a fact for me. When I started studying at seventeen, I signed up for an improv acting class, urged on by a fellow student. I fell head over heels with acting and the theatre. It was the first and only time that it made me doubt everything I thought I knew about what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. Acting is addictive, it provides an opportunity to extrapolate yourself, to channel meaning, laughter, sadness or any other emotion through you towards an audience. And yes, it influences the ego which can be a terrifyingly…

The king of all things depressing Alejandro González Iñárritu tries his luck at comedy in this tale of a washed up actor played by Mr. Mom Gung Ho Michael Keaton and his second chance at success. Intense yoga. Batman's underpants. Not so fat Zach. Badasses wear toupées? The way snob film fucks talk. Pussy share? Birdman has a groovy jazzy funky New Wave percussion feel. Derek Vinyard without his tattoos. Does Alejandro González Iñárritu ever yell "CUT?" Emma Stone and Naomi Watts in the same movie? Hell to the yes! Michael Keaton's teeth. Baby mama drama. Real motherfuckers kill it in stage plays. Edward Norton's hairstyle. Ganja intervention. Emma Stone has real acting talent. The color blue is everywhere in…

I was wrong.

I don't normally say that. With cinema, I usually stay true to my reaction after a first viewing, with subsequent rewatches confirming my opinion on the film as a whole. To say that I was wrong about a film doesn't bother me, but It may seem weird to some on here considering that the film has just won Best Picture and I recently rewatched it and found it worse. Honestly, I don't know what happened on this third watch, but I loved it. Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) has messed with my head since I first saw it, combining wonderful performances and a snobby presentation. I felt annoyed after I first saw it, and my…

Yes the acting. That acting! Perfect? Acting! Certainly from Michael Keaton who gives absolutely everything he has into what is an excellent meta-commentary performance akin to that of Mickey Rourke in The Wrestler. Everyone else shines as much as they can in his shadow. Even Edward Norton's self-aware performance can barely match the former-Batman. Two former big screen superheroes go head-to-head, and the one who played an iconic DC hero beats out Marvel. Certainly a complete reversal of current reality.

But that camerawork. Holy camerawork! Immediately I had to check Emmanuel Lubezki's CV to determine his current streak of absolute beauties and despite my not seeing all of his work going to the start of his career, I shall just…

This film takes a simple story and tries to complicate it with as many askew details as possible.  I don't think the hints and nods shown throughout the movie reveal some grand tapistry, but if you look hard enough at even random events our brains will recognize some sembelance of a pattern.

There is definately artistry here, even if all the injokes don't add up.  With a need for the subtlties to stand out, the film decided to stick to a rather uncomplicated character driven story.  However the movie isn't happy with just strong performances from the very capable actors.  No, to add complexity there is a very mobile camera that films long sequences showing multiple scenes in a single…

Alejandro Iñárritu’s Birdman: Or the Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance is an absolute marvel of a film. On a second viewing, every enticing, brave, shattering moment is still as mesmerizing as ever. Superb performances from the entire cast, spellbindingly rendered cinematography, brilliant camera work and dialogue that is realized into straight up cinematic beat poetry — Birdman is (in my humble opinion) what modern cinema is all about.

Birdman follows the emotional journey of faded Hollywood big shot, Riggan Thompson, as he searches for the potency his superhero persona, Birdman, once brought, while simultaneously trying to escape the counter-culture of pandering and idealism he helped pioneer. Making his Broadway debut by directing, writing and starring in an adaption of What We…