Birdman (or The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)

"Birdman (or The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)" stars Michael Keaton, Naomi Watts, Edward Norton, Zach Galifianakis and Emma Stone. One would expect that, with a cast like this, the film would have to be a winner. Unfortunately it is not and despite or because of the direction of Alejandro Gonzalez Innaritu and the screenplay by Alexander Dinclarus, Armando Bo and Nicholas Giacobone, the viewer is subjected to great and talented actors being compelled to participate in a weak story filled with surrealistic sequences that add little and in many ways detract from the essence of the film. The acclaim that other critics have afforded this film seems to be based more on the uniqueness and unorthodox techniques than the quality of the film itself. Different doesn’t always mean better and in this instance the interjections by the writers and director serve only to distract rather than supplement the characters and the roles they play. That being said, the performances of Messrs. Keaton and Norton are worth seeing but one wishes they were in a different vehicle. I give the film 2 and ½ stars because fine acting deserves proper recognition but it can never make a mediocre film really good.