Review: 'Birdman' hits theaters with Oscar buzz
NEW YORK (WABC) -- Several new movies are flying into theaters this weekend, and one could be an Oscar contender.
"Birdman" has an award winning cast and a lot of buzz, and early in the Academy Award race - before all the likely contenders reach theaters - certain movies like this one gain plenty of attention.
In part, that's because it marks a comeback of sorts for Michael Keaton. But the film is also an intriguing mix of the real and the surreal.
One member of the cast compared filming "Birdman" to a relay race, with actors passing the baton to each other during long takes that give the impression the movie is one continuous scene taking place in and around a Broadway theater.
Riggan Thomson is a movie star who walked away from a big bucks-role, and it is so appropriate for Keaton play "Birdman," since in real life, he refused to continue on as "Batman." But this is merely the point of departure to discuss how our ego can get the better of any one of us.
The voice of "Birdman" plays in Riggan's head, and the line between reality and fantasy gets blurred.
Riggan hopes to revive his career by directing himself on Broadway, with Edward Norton playing his younger and sexier leading man, who tussles with Riggan and seduces his daughter, played by Emma Stone.
Naomi Watts co-stars as the play's leading lady, while Amy Ryan lends a note of stability as Riggans' ex-wife. Comic Zach Galifinakis plays it straight as Riggan's best friend and producer.
All are equally great in this thrill ride for the mind.
Keaton certainly shows all that he is capable of, but his self-absorbed character wears out its welcome by the end of the movie. But while the mind is fully engaged by "Birdman," less so the heart and soul. But it's still a remarkable achievement.
