Review XCII - Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)

Review XCII
Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance (2014)

I read about Alejandro González Iñárritu's latest flick Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) a little while back while searching for films I could potentially go see in the theatre. I kind of forgot about it until I happened to come across it again and realised it was playing in theatres. And then I was talking to someone and they told me the film, as well as the main actor, Michael Keaton, were getting a lot of praise. So there I set out on a Thursday evening (two weeks ago) to go watch the film instead of doing homework or studying.

Riggan (Keaton) is famous for being the star of three films about a superhero named Birdman. Now, years later, he's trying to leave his superhero persona behind and has decided to write the theatre adaptation of a novel. However, he'll have to deal with just-got-out-of-rehab daughter Sam (Emma Stone), friend-turned-attorney Jake (Zach Galifianakis), new Broadway star Lesley (Naomi Watts), newly-pregnant Laura (Andrea Riseborough), and crazy actor Mike (Edward Norton) before he can tackle Broadway and his inner demon.

Well, what can I say? The film was good! I won't go too much into the film since this review is long overdue, but I'll mention some key points that I liked about the film. One, the shot. That's right the shot. This film was one long shot. It never cut out - it just kept rolling. It made you feel uneasy at times because seriously, you never get a break. But it's also innovative and it really worked out well. Next, the acting! The acting was good. It flowed well, and yes, Michael Keaton was good. I was totally not expecting such a good performance. But it was worthy. As was everyone else. Thirdly, the message. I thought the message, while not executed to my liking all the time, was legit. I mean, it's not new, with 2014's Frank sharing a similar theme, but I liked Birdman a lot better than I did Frank, so it obviously did it well. Is art really about numbers now? Do we really need to always push all boundaries? Or can the artist just enjoy his art for the sake of his art? That scene where Michael Keaton talks to himself as Birdman was very hard-hitting, though I found it funny when I saw a brief mention of the film and that's the scene they chose to showcase. So there you go. The film kind of had this magic realism thing going on - which, as a prime example, would be how Gabriel García Márquez's Cien años de soledad book is written (highly recommended read, by the way!) - which I could see would throw people off. But honestly, it's executed well. Give it a chance. Kind of spoiler, but it's explained nearing the end of the film! Oh, yes, and the credits and titlescreen? I loved the way it was executed. Very clean!

I won't go ahead and say the film was flawless. I was a bit saddened at times that the message was so thrown at your face, but that's just me. I'm sure there are small details in the film that could be analysed, but the main message was not as hidden at times as I would have liked it to be. But really, I wasn't expecting 2001: A Space Odyssey cryptic, which is a good thing, because without having analysis upon analysis of that film, I would never have uncovered most of the enigma of that film. But still, sometimes I like major themes being left unexplained at times. ... Let me just drop this now.

Alejandro González Iñárritu's Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) was a nice little piece of cinema that I was glad I got to watch in theatres. I can't say I'd recommend it for everyone, but if you're looking for something to explain all these superhero films coming out, then check it out. You won't be disappointed.

Also, the drums were a pretty freakin' cool idea. Cheers!

Review LVIII - Amores perros

Review LVIII
Amores perros (2000)

Human beings are creatures that rely on others for comfort. We don't live as solitary beings, and instead have adopted a way of living that requires the love and caring from others in order to maintain a certain level of happiness. This could be via family, friends, or significant others. Alejandro González Iñárritu's Amores perros (or "Love's a Bitch" as it is sometimes translated into English) explores the love people think they perceive and demonstrates how it can lead to our downfall or our transcendence through a single event - a car crash. It stars Gael García Bernal, Vanessa Bauche, Álvaro Guerrero, Goya Toledo, Emilio Echevarría, and Lourdes Echevarría.

The film is separated into three segments. The first focuses on the tale of Octavio (Gael García Bernal) and Susana (Vanessa Bauche). Susana is a young mother who is married to Ramiro (Marco Pérez), a man who makes ends meet by robbing stores. Ramiro is abusive to Susana, and Octavio, Ramiro's brother, who also loves Susana, is angered by this. Octavio dreams of running away with her, and, through dog fighting, he holds the belief he will win her over.

The second segment focuses on Daniel (Álvaro Guerrero) and Valeria (Goya Toledo). Daniel was a unhappily married man with two daughters who wound up in an affair with the famous supermodel, Valeria. He leaves his family behind to grow this infatuation, but when Valeria severely injuries her leg in a car crash, their love will be tested.

The final segment focuses on El Chivo (Emilio Echevarría) and his daughter, Maru (Lourdes Echevarría). El Chivo, a hitman who poses as a homeless man, participated in guerrilla tactics and landed in jail because of them. A business man approaches and asks him to take out his partner. However, planned events become skewed following a car crash which will leave El Chivo debating the meaning of his existence.

If you know Alejandro González Iñárritu (and you may since he directed 21 Grams and Babel, both Oscar-nominated films, which are actually part of a trilogy of hard love, the first being Amores perros), then you already have a sense of how Amores perros will be executed. The film is more linear than 21 Grams, but it still revolves around a single event that captures the lives of different people. Personally, I find it pretty remarkable as a story because of this event. It shows how small the world can be and the basic concept that everything in this world is connected. I've yet to see Babel (though I read a summary written by a friend for an essay, so I know the story already), but I can definitely say I enjoyed 21 Grams and Amores perros a lot. I don't recall 21 Grams that much since I watched it when I was young, but I can definitely comment that Amores perros was well done. It was melancholic, and it captured that feature of life very well. The characters - Octavio, Susana, Daniel, Valeria, and El Chivo - are three-dimensional who think life is going one way but learn that it isn't what it's cracked up to be. Congratulations to all the actors - you definitely did a great job in your roles. Again, don't go into this film expecting something heart-warming because it isn't. It reveals the hardships of life, and I think it does a great job.

The plot is interesting, and it really showed desperation. Each segment captures a different point about love and, with every one, I was yelling out what the characters should do. But you realise that, if you're in that situation, you don't necessarily think straight. As they (yes, they) say, "Love is blind." I'm warning you now, though, that dogs are a prominent feature in the film (think what they could mean symbolically), and there is a lot of canine abuse. Obviously it's for symbolic purposes and I thought it aided in proving a point, but as a person who has grown up with animals, including dogs, and still has many animals, it was hard to watch sometimes. I'd say don't let the dog fighting and dog abuse prevent you from watching the film because, again, its symbolism is powerful, but I'd rather give a short warning so you don't turn off the film in disgust. It's worth a watch anyway.

The film was authentic and depressing, and it definitely deserved the Oscar nod it got for Best Foreign Film. I'd give the film eight stars on ten. It was interesting and well captured, and it made me cringe and feel, something very little films can do. Also, might I mention I love the play-on-words for the title?

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