Michael Keaton, star of Alejandro González Iñárritu's black comedy "Birdman (or the Unexpected Virtue of Ignornace)," was named Best Actor in a Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy, at last night's Golden Globe Awards, setting him up as an Oscar favorite.
The film centers on Keaton's character, Riggan Thompson, an actor many moons away from his career-defining role as the superhero, Birdman. Thompson tries to mount a comeback by writing, directing and starring in a Broadway play based on a Raymond Carver story, but his attempts to rehabilitate his life, both personal and professional, seem doomed to failure.
Keaton starred in the film alongside Edward Norton, Naomi Watts and Emma Stone. All three performers are excellent in here, but make no mistake...this is Keaton's show from the first frame to the last.
Beyond all that, I cannot express how happy Keaton's win here makes me. He has been my favorite actor since I saw him in 1982's "Night Shift" as the hyper-kinetic "idea man," Billy "Blaze" Blazejowski.
The reason that Keaton always appealed to me as an actor is that he constantly seems to having a good time in any and every film he's in. He just brings a verve and energy to the roles that most actors and actresses of his age and/or stature seem to lack. What I mean by that is they just show up and play themselves; they don't inhabit or become the role. That has never been the case with Michael Keaton...and his electric portrayal of Riggan Thompson in "Birdman" proves that in spades.
In regard to the film itself, which I finally had the opportunity to see last week, it is a well-crafted piece of cinema for sure. Although I'm unsure if Iñárritu and his co-writers Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris and Armando Bo love or hate action/superhero films. Maybe it's a little bit of both? I always find it infinitely interesting when people of other cultures (Iñárritu and collaborators are Mexican) hold a mirror up to our culture. Forgive me, but I like seeing the darkness and the cracks...because it is in-between those cracks and in that darkness where things really get interesting. And there is much darkness and many cracks to be explored in "Birdman."
What I also love about the film is that it's a play within a film. We get to see this troubled production of Carver's "What We Talk About When We Talk About Love" warts and all, and it is a beautiful disaster to say the least. Iñárritu primarily uses Steadicam, one long take, shots that dip, dive and peek around the corners of the theater to highlight just how beautiful this disaster is as it unfolds.
In terms of the acting, there are two scenes that stand out to me (and these are the scenes that probably won Keaton his award): The first time Riggan meets Norton's character Mike, a pretentious, yet hard-scrabbled vet of the Broadway scene, and they start to hash out the play. At one point, it's just Keaton and Norton sitting at a card table, going back and forth at each other, and it impossible to take your eyes off the screen.
Second is the scene where Riggan confronts the jaded theater critic, Tabitha (Lindsey Duncan), who insists she is going to "destroy his play" without even seeing it. A buzzed Riggan makes quick work of her and her writing and it is just a masterful thing to watch.
I'm going to say this now and you can hold me to it: If Michael Keaton doesn't win the Oscar for "Birdman" there's gonna be a riot...and it's gonna start right here in Jersey.
As icing on top of the "Michael Keaton Lovefest" cake, check out his heartfelt and genuinely moving acceptance speech below:
