Birdman

[Looper]

Watched this at last tonight.

Story about an ex-superhero actor (Michael Keaton) who turns his hand to broadway theatre.

Many original aspects to the direction and narrative.

Very entertaining story. Characters have a raw authenticity.

The snappy dialogue is underscored by a drumbeat that seems to run through most of the sound track.

The movie has a slightly frenetic pace which some might not enjoy but if you are in the mood it works well.

Occasionally a movie comes along that seems to redefine the boundaries in what we can expect from the medium and I would say this is one.

Was going to post this in the review thread but it is too good a movie. It deserves its own thread.

After I finished watching I checked the news and saw it had won the Oscar for best picture. I did not even know this was Oscar night.

9/10

[wasabi]

" Birdman of Alcatraz "
Been around a long time.
Hollywood copy capping again.

[Neo]

I really enjoyed it, a good film on many levels.

A kick at at the chauvinism of theatre and the shallowness of hollywood in one blow.
Keaton's mental breakdown is outrageously funny.
Refreshing cinematography and editing.

I put it on to watch, not expecting too much, and was pleasantly surprised at the tangent it took me off on.

[S Landreth]

First, I am not much of a movie critic. I’ll get that outa the way now.

I did see two movies this past weekend, (a true story).

Birdman was good (7/10). I enjoyed how the main character (Keaton) interacted with his alter ego/subconscious. I also think Ed Norton did an excellent job with his character, but Norton seems to do well with the characters he .

I thought they could have done a better job with the ending.

Best line in the movie,…..“We share a vagina”.

[misskit]

thought they could have done a better job with the ending.

Throughout the movie, I felt like I was watching a funny Leaving Las Vegas kind of movie, in the way there wasn't to be a good ending in store for the main character. An underlying since of dread stayed with me the during the whole film.

[Humbert]

Good movie but those annoying seppo accents gave me a nose bleed.

[Davis Knowlton]

I've tried to watch it twice without success. I'm giving it one last shot today.

Academy Awards do nothing for me - Best Picture often means a great reason NOT to watch it. "Loneliness of The Long Distance Runner" springs to mind.

One more try and it's back to the Jerry Springer Show.

[rickschoppers]

I have not seen it yet, so I will save my opinion for later. I am not a big Michael Keaton fan, but do like Edward Norton.

[koman]

I'm not surprised that a movie about an actor won "best" picture. The Oscars are just an opportunity for the movie industry to toot it's own horn....and they love movies about actors, even if they are not that good.

Narcissistic bunch of twats at the best of times.

I see Al Sharpton and friends were trying to stage some protest because the Oscars were not "diverse" enough. No slave movies in the running this year....

Can we expect affirmative action and "quotas" at the Oscars in the years to come?

[rickschoppers]

You already have affirmative action at the Oscars. Just remember back what the audience of the Oscars used to be when Sidney Poitier won his first award.

[Davis Knowlton]

^^12 Years A Slave....another piece of crap.

[somtamslap]

Turned it off after half an hour and watched Dumb and Dumber To instead.

[Necron99]

My stream shut off half way through.
Didn't bother restarting it.

Seemed like a movie written to win an oscar

[nidhogg]

" Birdman of Alcatraz "
Been around a long time.
Hollywood copy capping again.

????

Birdman of Alcatraz:
a largely fictionalized version of the life of Robert Stroud, a federal prison inmate known as the "Birdman of Alcatraz" because of his life with birds. In spite of the title, much of the action is set at Leavenworth prison where Stroud was jailed with his birds......

Birdman:
A washed-up actor who once played an iconic superhero must overcome his ego and family trouble as he mounts a Broadway play in a bid to reclaim his past .....

[Looper]

I've tried to watch it twice without success.

So bad you turned it off Davis, why?

The frenetic pace of the dialogue with the constant drum beat could be a bit wearing I guess.

12 Years A Slave....another piece of crap

I thought it was a little bit over-rated.

Seemed like a movie written to win an oscar

Certainly highly stylised and trying to be different. For me it worked.

[Davis Knowlton]

I've tried to watch it twice without success.

So bad you turned it off Davis, why?

The frenetic pace of the dialogue with the constant drum beat could be a bit wearing I guess.

It was slow, and boring. Unlike some movie fans on TD, for whom I have great respect so no slam intended, I watch movies to be entertained. If I get educated while being entertained, so much the better. I have some actor folks I like, and some I don't so much, but don't select movies based on that. I don't watch movies to analyze them, or to critique the director, or to ponder their deep message.

Oprah movies whose entire point is 'to have a meaning' bore me to tears. Like that slave movie piece of shit...whitey bad, blackie oppressed, South bad, North good, liberal whitey good. Trash.

I haven't watched enough of Birdman to tell you coherently why I hated it. I'm trying again tonight and if I can get more than 7 minutes into it, I'll let you know.

[Humbert]

Sure, there are many reasons to dislike Birdman. It is shot in an artistic style with long tracking shots reminiscent of Hitchcock's 'Rope', it is set in New York in the theatre district and we know that 'theatre' is viewed with disdain by the Joe sixpack crowd, the soundtrack is jazz another disliked art form, the director has a foriegn sounding name which is anathema.The American public has not turned out in big numbers to view it. It will be an artistic success and a commercial flop.
And if you hate this one you're really going to hate 'Whiplash'.

[Looper]

It is shot in an artistic style with long tracking shots reminiscent of Hitchcock's 'Rope'

I noticed those long tracking shots while I was watching it. They seemed quite technically challenging and not easy to accomplish especially since they blend FX in many of them.

I'm trying again tonight and if I can get more than 7 minutes into it, I'll let you know.

What say ye Davis?

[Davis Knowlton]

What say ye Davis?

Joe Six-Pack watched Cool Hand Luke last night. Will try tonight.

[Looper]

It was slow, and boring.

Gotta give it at least 30 minutes to snag you I think. Don't be put off by the odd FX in the opening scenes. It is supposed to be the actor daydreaming about his lost superstardom and imagining it in the form of superpowers, or at least that is what I got.

Cool Hand Luke

Haven't watched 50 egg man since I was a teenager!

[Humbert]

Joe Six-Pack watched Cool Hand Luke last night. Will try tonight.

You may want two six-packs if you want to get through it Davis.

[harrybarracuda]

I'm not surprised that a movie about an actor won "best" picture. The Oscars are just an opportunity for the movie industry to toot it's own horn....and they love movies about actors, even if they are not that good.

Narcissistic bunch of twats at the best of times.

I see Al Sharpton and friends were trying to stage some protest because the Oscars were not "diverse" enough. No slave movies in the running this year....

Can we expect affirmative action and "quotas" at the Oscars in the years to come?

I reckon if you made a movie about a gay, black, jewish disabled ballet dancer getting ALS in the middle of the Holocaust, you'd be nailed on for best picture and best director.

[The Ghost Of The Moog]

I did not like it, because I found it to be pretentious, inconsequential luvviedom - about showbiz.

I can see why Academy voters liked it for exactly the same reason.


...and may I just say this is a very, very gay thread. I will not single out quotes, but you know who you are.

[Davis Knowlton]

Looper: Made it almost 30 minutes on my third try, then had to ask why I was torturing myself. Deleted.

[Looper]

That is funny. I anticipated some people not liking it but not for the reasons being given here.

I guess it is just not for everybody!