"Birdman" a personal reaction and something else

12/15/2014

 I wrote the review below, "Personal review of Birdman" a few weeks ago, but only sent it to one man.  We worked together three decades ago in a printing company where our "executive positions" allowed us plenty of time for private conversation.  His real life work is in the theater, writing and directing with his only reward being participation in this art.

 Recent revelations about how the film has been promoted now take precedence over my personal review.  Once a film is "in the can",  after the producers, writers, actors, directors and editors have created their opus, it is now under the control of marketing.  Their goal is to build an audience that will make the investment profitable.

For most "spectaculars," exactly the type of movie that "Birdman" contrasted with theater -- whether live or on film that affects the viewer in meaningful unique ways, these special-effects laden thrillers  can be promoted in any way without damage; as they are made to provide escape, and nothing more.  "Birdman" is different.  It is both powerful and subtle;  an experience that must unfold before the eyes of the individual in the audience.  This powerful subtlety is fragile.  It can be destroyed by including the final scene in the trailer, which is exactly what the company did.

But the last decision of marketers is the most telling.  Winning awards from festivals is a key to box office success.  It turns out that most of these are in categories such as Drama, Musicals or Documentaries, with some getting more entries than others.  So they made the decision to enter this film in the category of "Comedy"  because of less competition.  There are some laughs in the film, but no laugh lines.  It was the laughter that is part of living, even during the most tragic poignant moments.  The writer-director was not comfortable with this categorization, but did not protest.  

Those who expect a comedy may find one in this film, but it is by reducing a work of art to something quite different.  Perhaps if this ploy works, it can increase funding for such gems, knowing that audience will not be limited to those who frequent art houses.  Yep, maybe that's the silver lining.  But, for those who read this, go out and see this film without reading another review.  Take a chance; it may just be a meaningless few hours of noise and dumb jokes, but then again.......  Here's my own review that I guess you should only read after you see the film:

Personal review of "Birdman" A film you should know about......

For details I suggest this link on IMBD,  where you can get a synopsis, summary and every detail about it.   This is not a review, it's sharing with my readers what this meant to me.   I won't even give it a rating, or tell someone they should see it, since for many it will just be a mess of shouting, joking, fantasy and confusion.

For me the film broke through to my core, only possible because at any moment I didn't know what the movie was doing, or where it was going, or how to put a label on it, or understand the people who populated it.  This could be seen as looking at three realities -- blockbuster movies, Broadway dramatic theater, and that plane of existence that we call real life.

The film draws you in using all three modalities, skillfully blended so the shifts are not delineated; rather we are pulled across boundaries by the honesty of those people who have chosen to be actors.  I wonder about those critics who described the film as a comedy, as such a genre, such formulaic interactions designed to bring laughter are not in evidence.  I was drawn into uncharted territory. 

It will grab you or it won't. (BTW, don't watch the trailer as I'm told it destroys the suspense)  Here's a scene when one of the four actresses in the drama in previews is distraught over the crudeness of one of the men in the play, and later, tearfully in her dressing room she confides: "I'm pathetic.  I've always dreamed of being a Broadway actress since I was a little kid, but now I'm here. I'm not a Broadway actress I'm still....just.a little kid.   I just need somebody to tell me I made it.   And then gently, her friend responds simply,"You made it."

Only a week ago learning of the death of an unusual man who I played tennis with wrote this which came to mind as I watched that scene:

One morning when we were partners and I missed a shot, he was playing the stern authority, so with a firm chastising tone called out, "Al, you are a bad boy."

He didn't know, nor did I, that those words would reach to the core of my being.  I couldn't continue on, as I was too deeply hurt, even though intellectually I knew that he was just being Fritz.  So, I turned to him, and said with sincerity, "Fritz, you made me feel bad, please tell me that I'm a good boy."   And without skipping a beat, with the same sincerity, he proclaimed, "Al, you are a good boy."
And then, instantly, I was O.K.

"Birdman" is both the interplay of personal stories, yet also a statement of our times, a truth that only can be expressed by the greatest of art.  This is a movie about how movies are an escape from a reality that is all encompassing,  how true theater can liberate us from the unseen constraints of our existence, that no one escapes from for more than a brief moment.

Or for some of us in just the right frame of mind,  it will last for the two hours experiencing this amazing work.