Time for more full disclosure: when I first heard about Alejandro González Iñárritu’s new film Birdman, I thought it sounded pretty cool. Michael Keaton as a slightly unhinged former superhero star trying to make a comeback via the Broadway stage? Yes, please. As buzz has built for the film, it began to look better and better, with critics lauding Keaton’s performance as one of the best he’s done in a very long time. Now more trailers, clips, and TV spots have begun hitting the Internet in advance of Birdman‘s limited release on October 17, and my interest in the film has gone from casual to “dear God, I must see this movie!”
In the most recent clip from Birdman – well, less a clip and more a short trailer – Michael Keaton shows that he can still do crazy with the best of them. As Riggan Thomson, the actor attempting to stage his comeback, Keaton obviously begins to come just a bit unhinged. He screams in the street, walks through Times Square in his underwear, and appears to be hallucinating the voice of his alter ego “Birdman,” all while Gnarls Barkley’s Crazy plays in the background. It probably does well to recall that the film’s subtitle is “The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance,” which might perhaps point to the more heady arguments about celebrity and satire underlying this movie.
Birdman‘s cast also includes Emma Stone, Edward Norton, and Zach Galifianakis – you know, if Michael Keaton’s inspired madness was not enough to get you into the theatre. The film has opened to critical acclaim at the Venice Film Festival, and will finally have its regrettably limited release on October 17.
You can watch the latest clip below and decide for yourself if Birdman is worth the money. As far as I’m concerned, this is already the most anticipated movie of the year.
