Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
Heather Santrous

Review by Heather Santrous Pro

Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) 2014

★★★★

Watched 01 Jan 2024

I've always heard good things about this movie even before it was released. I've had it in a couple of watchlists and I had it somewhere in my Netflix DVD queue when that was still a thing. I just never got around to it because I think I knew it sat outside of what I normally watch. I scrolled through Max today thinking of hitting the next Harry Potter movie when I noticed this movie will be leaving soon. Even though I wasn't all that excited about watching it at long last, I bit the bullet.

When I started watching this one, I was wondering if I made a mistake. Even though I was excited about the cast, I wasn't getting into the story for a while. I stuck with it though and it did win me over as it went on thankfully. While I thought the story was okay, it was Michael Keaton and Edward Norton who pulled me in the most. I get that the story fits Keaton, as an actor who played a superhero years ago, but I've never thought of Keaton in that role only. I did love him as Batman but there are also so many movies before and after that that I remember him in.

I know the ending is something the director wants us to figure out on our own. I'm still a bit mixed about it. I didn't really believe Riggan has any kind of powers even though the film kind of makes us think otherwise. This is mostly because he is always alone when this power is shown. The ending made me question that some but it is hard for me to say either way. It wasn't the way I figured the movie would end so there is that at least. I don't know that this would be a movie I would watch again but I'm glad that I did get around to watching it.

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