Birdman is a much hyped movie that my friend Diane and I saw together Saturday night. It stars Michael Keaton (trying to make a movie after a hiatus and career change) about a guy who has played Birdman, trying to go in a new direction after a hiatus and career change. Lots of other good folk in the film, which is billed as a black comedy. Which would be fine, except that it is not funny.
I really didn’t like it as we left the theater. Today I don’t dislike it quite as strongly. But the film is totally negative, almost to the point of satire (which might have been funny), and it is full of cliches – the 2 top male protagonists having a fist fight / wrestling match over essentially nothing (the other is Edward Norton). The two female key characters sharing a sexy lesbian kiss – nothing before or after that. A female character announcing she’s pregnant, piling that on top of all the other drama going on – and then announcing later that she is not. A daughter who is busy giving the impression she is about to suicide. Lots of that in other areas as well. Lots of drinking. A little bit of spiritual stuff with levitation and throwing things without touching them, with no explanation – almost like an add on, with nothing to attach to. A scene with no feeling in it, where a critic announces that she will kill the play.
And on and on and….