Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (2014)

I don't know how to start a movie review off, seeing as I've never written one. I feel my meager rating out-of-ten is enough information to tell those interested what I think of a particular movie. Birdman, however, is the exception.

I understand I'm an absolute stranger. Who gives a damn about what I have to think? My only hope is that after reading one fan's fanatic praise for Birdman, you will go and see it. In the interest of not over-hyping this movie (which many will feel I'm about to do), I will say it's nothing short of utterly amazing. Every aspect of the film is masterfully crafted and executed. Emmanuel Lubezki's cinematography only exemplifies this. The brilliant choice of always having the camera rolling lets the viewer see what happens before and after any given event. This added information creates a realism unknown to nearly every other movie ever made. What better way to capture the raw emotion and awkward stumbling of an angry outburst at your father than to show the immediate reaction of the ranter following her outburst; you get to see the anger slowly fade from her face as the reality of what she said sets in. Details like this are so often lost and these often- lost, immersive subtleties are what make Birdman the gargantuan triumph it is. Not to mention some of the transitions and dolly shots are just damn impressive.

Even though many movies are yet to come out this pre-Oscar season, I feel it is safe to say no other casting ensemble will come close to the performances given in Birdman. Michael Keaton, Zach Galifianakis, Emma Stone, Ed Norton, Amy Ryan, and every single other actor in the production execute their roles with professionalism that most movies are lucky to see in just one of their actors. Each actor didn't wait for their time to shine to pull out the big guns; every moment of screen time was utilized to its full potential. There isn't a second where the audience's immersion is broken by an awkwardly delivered line or a slightly out-of-place facial expressions or emotion.

The only criticism I have about the film is that more aren't like it. A smart, satirical movie that is capable of criticizing without being hypocritical is unfortunately rare. However, it's rather nice to have movies like this stand out from the crowd instead of being the norm, because the relative quality only makes them that much better.

So, in short, I implore you. I beg you. If you step into a movie theater once this year, let it be to watch this film. It deserves your attention.