Movie Review: Birdman

Birdman was an absolutely strange film. I was enthralled, I found some parts incredibly hysterical, and I marveled at how the film was presented, but somehow, the film didn't completely blow me away. Yes, there's A TON to love about the movie. The narrative, while pretty straightforward, was presented in a way that looked like one constant shot throughout the entire film, which created a great sense of continuity. The cinematography and editing were magnificent, the direction was brilliant, and the performances were deliciously layered. Michael Keaton and Edward Norton, in particular, were outstanding, and Emma Stone managed to hold her own with the big leagues. With all that great elements, I was somehow still relatively underwhelmed with the entirety of Birdman. Maybe I just felt that it tried too hard to be profound that I got lost in the process. That's not to take anything away from the film as it was definitely a remarkable piece of work and it was admirable. I just didn't think it was all that. 8