Birdman – The Need to Feel Beloved On This Earth

by jmgariepy · September 7, 2020

Michael Keaton is a type-cast actor who’s desperate to be taken seriously. Edward Norton is a method actor who’s notorious for demanding too much from those around him. I mean, that’s who they are in real life.

They also play out larger than life personifications of these characters in the movie Birdman. Iñárritu layers Birdman with dynamic truths. So many, in fact, that when the audience is expected to believe the impossible, they accept it as yet another truth. Can Riggan fly? Is the film one giant choreographed shot? Birdman should be a telling lesson about how we are defenseless when confronted with beautiful lies, but I am so defenseless when confronted with these beautiful lies, that this message is lost on me.

Tom was a good sport this episode as he plays host to my movie choice. I fear I was the sort of challenging guest I often contend with while sitting in the other chair: so excited to be talking about my pet movie, that I only half hear the questions. I can only blame myself so much, though. Birdman is a good movie to get excited about.