Birdman is an indie art-house film about a washed-up actor who played a superhero in the early 90s trying to stage a comeback via a broadway play. It stars Michael Keaton who, as we all know, played Batman twice in the late 80s/early 90s. It’s a knowing wink and smart casting in a movie that’s basically a condemnation of big dumb action movies and the ecosystem of massive superhero films we’re living in now (which it does through direct satire, not just by being a smart film). But don’t let the message of the movie (which is not aggressive) get in the way of what’s a remarkable artistic achievement for actors, film directing, and editing. That may not sound exciting, but it really works.

This is an almost two hour movie that’s filmed and edited to appear like it takes place in one continuous shot/take in and around a NYC playhouse… but it’s not in real-time. There are distinct moments reflecting the passage of time but the camera never appears to stop rolling – you can usually see where they are transitioning from one scene to another but it’s put together so well to be otherwise seamless. And none of this takes away from the amazing acting job from the cast who are working around very complicated camera movements in continuous and completely legit long takes.

See it for the acting if nothing else… Michael Keaton has never been better and it’s great to say that since he’s largely been missing lately (this is a bit of a comeback – he also appeared in the so-so racing flick Need for Speed and in the so-so remake of Robocop). He’s joined by an amazing Edward Norton acting the hell out of his part as an egotistical stage actor. Surprising because they don’t tend to play drama, Zack Galifanakis (as a lawyer) and Emma Stone (as Keaton’s daughter) are pretty darn good with Stone pulling off some really powerful scenes (and Zack actually being funny but not in his usual way). Naomi Watts and Amy Ryan are quite good as well.

The hook or gimmick of this movie – besides the single take conceit – is that Keaton’s character may just be insane… the superhero he played is named Birdman and he has meaningful conversation with him in his head. He thinks he can mentally manipulate objects, float in mid-air, and do other extraordinary things… but all when no one else is around. Also, as an aside, Keaton uses a deep gravelly voice as his Birdman alter-ego which is supposed to remind you of Batman but kind of sounds like Beetlejuice.

Birdman is a fairly long movie whose premise may not excite on the surface, but I think it would work for anyone who likes a good acting in good drama (with some genuine comedy, as evidenced by this guy in the audience who laughed louder than anyone I’ve heard in a theater in awhile). Cinephiles and folks who can appreciate good technical and artistic skills will get a good dose of it from the directing and editing (and percussive music). I say check it out if you can – it’s opened a little wider recently but is hardly a mainstream flick.

Score: 88