Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
2014 · Alejandro González Iñárritu · 119 min · Comedy / Drama
Birdman is a film that refuses to sit still, both literally and figuratively. The continuous-shot illusion is a technical marvel that serves the story rather than overshadowing it, and Michael Keaton delivers the kind of career performance that reminds you why he was a star in the first place. It's smart, funny, and surprisingly moving when it wants to be. The pretension accusations aren't entirely unfounded, but the film earns most of its ambition through sheer execution and a cast that commits fully to the chaos.