Page 20 THE VILLADOM TIMES III • November 5, 2014 ‘Birdman’ provides close-up of human deterioration by Dennis Seuling “Birdman” or “The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance” is a curious movie. It can be interpreted on two levels: the actual and the metaphoric. If taken completely as a reality- based tale, one is in for trouble along the way, as director Alejandro G. Inarritu throws in a number of scenes that will raise questions that are never answered. As a meta- phoric glimpse into the mind of a man seeking respect- ability, it is far more successful. Riggan Thomson (Michael Keaton) is a 60-ish actor whose greatest fame was starring in a trilogy of action movies as Birdman, an immensely popular winged super- hero. Years later, he has written and is directing and star- ring in a Broadway play in an attempt to resurrect his career and sweep up some artistic credits in the process. He has invested a fortune in the production and viewers see the final days prior to opening night. The cast includes Lesley (Naomi Watts), who plays Riggan’s stage wife; Laura, Riggan’s younger, unappreciated lover; and Mike (Edward Norton), an egotistical Hollywood star and Method actor who attempts to hijack the production. Using long takes as characters move through the cor- ridors, dressing rooms, staircases, catwalks, and roof of the Saint James Theater, Inarritu creates rising tension as problems surface and everyone looks to Riggan for a quick fix. He is under enormous pressure. He encounters “The New York Times” critic (Lindsay Duncan) in a bar near the theater, and she vows to kill the play on principle. She regards Riggan as a toxic infringer in the world of serious theater. Basically, “Birdman” is the story of a man’s gradual mental breakdown as the disappointments and successes of his life merge into a series of professional and personal failures. He has been a distant father to daughter Sam (Emma Stone), who is fresh out of rehab and serves as his personal assistant, and he feels that being defined by the public as the guy in the Birdman suit is not much of a legacy. Keaton is excellent in a performance that requires a wide emotional range. The character is unlike any he has played before, and has parallels with his own career. (Keaton played Batman in the first two big-screen films.) There is a depth here that viewers have not seen from him before. As Riggan scurries around, trying to keep it together for the sake of the play, he is like a tennis player fending off one lob after another, focused on the opening night goal. Michael Keaton and Edward Norton star in ‘Birdman.’ There are cinematic moments when viewers see what is in Riggan’s mind. For example, he believes he can levitate, and he is shown in the lotus position three feet above the ground just prior to a rehearsal. Viewers also are treated to a scene in which he dives off a roof and soars around buildings in his everyday street clothes. These are memo- rable moments, but Keaton plays them matter-of-factly, as Riggan’s mind’s imagines them. Norton’s Mike is an obnoxious character who is totally immersed in himself. A quick study, he has already memorized the entire play when he shows up for his first rehearsal and is not shy about suggesting ways to pep up the dialogue and make improvements. Because he is also Lesley’s boyfriend, the oil-and-water mixture of private and professional lives eventually becomes yet another dis- traction for a production already at risk. Norton’s Mike is arrogant, annoyingly self-assured, and despicably honest. There are numerous clashes between him and Riggan, but as Riggan’s yes-man producer, Jake (Zach Galifianakis), constantly reminds Riggan, Mike is hot at the box office and firing him would diminish advance sales. So Riggan must swallow his pride, cope with Mike’s overreaching, and try to keep his eye on opening night. Rated R, “Birdman” is a surrealistic fantasy grounded in the backstage world of Broadway. Notable for excellent photography that includes long tracking shots, ever-chang- ing lighting, and actors’ movements choreographed to the camera, it is an intriguing look at a man under pres- sure. Reassessing a life not always lived well, Riggan — haunted by demons of the past — hopes to redeem himself by making a significant mark in the world of legitimate theater.