What does it mean when grab my iPad about 20 minutes into the movie, put it on pause, and pull up Wikipedia to figure out what it is I am watching?
It means the movie sucks.
We watched this today because it was nominated for and won so many awards. 93% on the Tomatometer doesn’t hurt, either.
But all the hoopla didn’t help me any. I just didn’t get it.
Birdman is a black comedy that tells the story of Riggan Thompson (Michael Keaton) a movie actor who was famous for portraying an iconic superhero, the Birdman. Now jaded and lost, he struggles to produce and direct a Broadway play, in which he also has a major role. He brings in Mike (Edward Norton), a brilliant yet volatile character actor. The struggle to make the play work almost destroys him. And yes, he has superpowers. He can telekineticly move objects and levitate himself. You go figure it out.
While the main characters did tremendous acting – thank goodness – the story, the premise and the plot were flat-out stupid. Why did he have superpowers? This added nothing to the plot and simply confused me. I kept waiting for when this would get good, but it simply never did, up to the last frame.
I would give this one star only, but the acting was just too good. So two stars it is.
Don’t waste your time and money.
Boring.
Blech then?
I would strain to give a single star. Cinematography was sophomoric. Acting embarrassing. Music worse than listening to a train wreck. Then there’s the story line. A washed up actor/super hero making a crappy stage play. I felt like I was sitting in a bad high school play trying to find an excuse to leave at intermission without offending the friends whose kid has no business leaving the computer lab. I wish I had back the hours I spent enduring the drivel that is Birdman.
But it got three Oscars! What’s wrong with those people?
Birdman? More like Birdcrap
Exactly. Hard to believe it received so many accolades.