“Birdman” is getting a whole lot of love right now, which is reassuring news for those those of us who crave artful, challenging pictures (the type that are usually released around the holidays). The film’s widespread acceptance is also surprising when you consider what an strange, wonderfully fucked-up, unconventional movie it is. Back when I saw it in early February, I walked out dazed, giddy, high off cinema. I genuinely had no idea what the public would make of Alejandro Gonzalez Innaritu’s latest, a fearless excursion into one actor’s creative id, but the response has, for the most part, been rapturous. Innaritu’s feverish dark comedy has been critically acclaimed, is looking at some probable Oscar love, and has recently picked up nods from the ASC and the National Board of Review.
There are lots of reasons to see “Birdman”: the much-discussed cinematography, Antonio Sanchez’s rib-rattling score, the final shot. More than anything though, this is an actor’s film: some are...
