Alejandro González Iñárritu’s Birdman is emerging as one of this year’s most eagerly-anticipated releases. With Michael Keaton in the titular role as ex-superhero actor Riggan Thomas, it piles on the quirk in a meta-riff on the actor’s own success during the eighties. We’ve still a little time to wait until the movie reaches theatres, but there’s already a feeling amongst critics that Keaton is a strong contender for the Best Actor Oscar.
The clip picks up on Riggan as he’s in the midst of a press conference. Determined to put his trilogy of Birdman flicks behind him, the actor is keen to establish himself as a serious thespian. On the cusp of his great Broadway opening – in an adaptation of Raymond Carver’s What We Talk About When We Talk About Love – he fields a series of crackers questions from the media. The scene unfolds in one uninterrupted take, as Riggan navigates through the bizarre subjects the press want his thoughts on.
The entire premise of the movie is an enticing prospect, and should perform well as evidenced by the way it was rapturously received at its Venice Film Festival debut. Alongside Keaton are Emma Stone as his savvy daughter, Zach Galifianakis as his scatterbrained attorney, Naomi Watts as a fellow actor, and Andrea Risenborough as his on-off paramour.
Birdman opens in select theatres on October 17th.
BIRDMAN or The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance is a black comedy that tells the story of an actor (Michael Keaton) – famous for portraying an iconic superhero – as he struggles to mount a Broadway play. In the days leading up to opening night, he battles his ego and attempts to recover his family, his career, and himself.
