What is imperfection when juxtaposed against perfection? And should not perfection then be gauged in a new light to unravel microscopic nuances which mark its composition? And should these compositions then be gauged again to comprehend their make-up?
By its sheer brilliance of a powerful plot, streamlined story and action-packed, drama-filled acting, Director Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s Birdman running at 119 minutes is more than a personal introspection and a craving to be wanted, loved, understood and accepted. It is the story of every human being- of you and me.
Perhaps this is one of the primary reasons the Oscar jury found the film par excellence to award it the Best Picture and Original Screenplay, needless to state it also bagged the award in the Best Director category too.
Riggan Thompson (Michael Keaton) is a vanishing Hollywood star who at one point of time was a heart throb and a huge success etching the role of superhero Birdman. At the current moment he is hoping to make a comeback as an actor, director and writer through his stage adaption/ production, of a Richard Carver short story, What We Talk About When We Talk About Love.
Much like Osborne’s kitchen-sink drama Look Back In Anger, Riggan vents our most of his insecurities through his interpersonal relationships with his daughter Sam, a recovering rehab-return (Emma Stone), his separated wife Sylvia (Amy Ryan) and his friend and producer and attorney Jake (Zach Galifianakis).
But Sam is no Alison and will not indulge in the bears and squirrels love-tiffs with her father. In an amazing soliloquy she tells him what she has to, jolting him back into reality from his escapism and avoidance of the basic requirements of survival tools of the 21st century: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Add to these woes Riggan’s co-star Ralph is injured when a light fixture falls upon his and Jake replaces the injured star with Broadway super-shine Mike Shiner (Edward Norton) who comes with his own set of idiosyncrasies. The first previews are disastrous and Riggan goes all out of his way to woo the powerful critic Tabitha Dickinson (Lindsay Duncan) who vows to ‘destroy’ him.
Amidst all this he gets stone drunk and ‘flies’ for after all he has been ‘the Birdman’. Or is he no more than a mere alter-ego of the superhero, the constant granite-voiced shadow following him with its taunts, mocks and jeers; even weaving on Riggan’s perceptions an illusion of deceit more fantastical than real.
What actually do we talk about, when we talk about love? Love of one’s work, passionate pain on the loss of the same, are perhaps a self-reflecting image for each one of us, marking a lasting impression on our psyche and being.
Riggan hopes he will make it to the stature of his glorious past once again even as he invites bigger challenges: standing at the edge of a high-rise or doing the final incredible on stage, bringing him the much cherished love of his estranged wife and daughter and the so sought after affection of his eroded fan base.
Are we all not in one way or the other like Riggan? I will leave that to you to answer yourself for yourself as we continue to indulge in the microscopic study of what make up perfection and imperfection, especially when both are juxtaposed against each other.
Birdman will make you soars above all expectations. Let’s hope you have a safe landing.
4.5/5