Riggan Thompson was Birdman, a crime-stopping superhero with a beak and a three-film franchise. Now, he’s a washed up actor trying to get his career and life back together by opening his own play on Broadway. On the eve of it’s opening, the play is close to falling apart and Riggan is forced to sign a younger, egotistical lead actor, whom he despises. What results over the next three days is strange, dark and downright hilarious, nearly costing Riggan his career, family and sanity in the process.
Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) is an American black comedy film co-written, produced, and directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu. The film stars Michael Keaton, Zach Galifianakis, Edward Norton, Andrea Riseborough, Emma Stone, Naomi Watts, and Amy Ryan. The film was released on October 17, 2014.
About the Story
Riggan Thomson is a washed-up Hollywood actor who once played the superhero Birdman, before leaving the franchise to reinvent his career by directing and starring in an adaptation of Raymond Carver’s short story What We Talk About When We Talk About Love. The play is produced by Riggan’s best friend Jake and stars Riggan’s girlfriend Laura and actress Lesley. Riggan’s daughter Sam, a recovering drug addict, is also part of the production as Riggan’s assistant, and he has refinanced the house belonging to his ex-wife Sylvia to fund the play. Throughout all of this, Riggan is mocked by the disembodied voice of Birdman, who claims he will fail.
After one of the leads is injured by a falling stage light, Jake convinces Riggan to replace him with famous method actor Mike Shiner, who becomes attracted to Sam. Laura later announces she’s pregnant and breaks up with Riggan when he appears to be disappointed. During preview performances, Mike insists on drinking real gin on stage, and when he’s instead handed a prop, he interrupts the performance and berates Riggan, who then decides to fire Mike, but is then told by Jake his addition to the cast has boosted ticket sales and they can’t lose him.
Riggan and Mike go to a bar, where Riggan tells Mike he needs the play to be succesful, and mentions that he once received a compliment from Raymond Carter on a napkin after a performance back when he was a struggling theater actor. Mike points out it’s a bar napkin and Carter wrote it while drunk. He dismisses Riggan as untalented for Broadway and introduces him to Tabitha, a vicious critic whose review will make or break Riggan’s play.
During their second performance, Riggan, Mike, and Lesley perform a scene where Riggan’s character catches Lesley’s character cheating on him with Mike’s character and commits suicide. Mike gets an erection and attempts to persuade Lesley to have sex with him on stage, but she refuses. Although the audience is distracted by Mike’s arousal, the performance is a success, and Riggan comforts Lesley afterwards. Laura eavesdrops on them and confides with Lesley that Riggan was never so kind to her, and the two kiss. Meanwhile, Sam and Mike grow closer, and Mike advises Riggan to find a more realistic prop gun.
Birdman
Directed by: Alejandro González Iñárritu
Starring: Michael Keaton, Zach Galifianakis, Amy Ryan, Emma Stone, Naomi Watts, Edward Norton, Andrea Riseborough
Screenplay by: Alejandro González Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris, Jr, Armando Bo
Production Design by: Kevin Thompson
Cinematography by: Emmanuel Lubezki
Film Editing by: Douglas Crise, Stephen Mirrione
Costume Design by: Albert Wolsky
Set Decoration by: George DeTitta Jr.
Music by: Antonio Sanchez
MPAA Rating: R for language throughout, some sexual content and brief violence.
Studio: Fox Searchlight Pictures
Release Date: October 17, 2014
Visits: 75
