RoQ Riffs!! Ya’ll good?! Yeah, I had to check back in and deliver some good news regarding an excellent film which I recently had the opportunity to screen. You know what this means!! RoQyPiece Theatre time!!!
Now, the movies are littered with pure, unadulterated horse-shits of films which are generally just glorified, cgi-plagued tax rideoffs.
And yes, I am defintiely talking about that horrific castration of my childhood, otherwise known as 2014’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
No… we’re not wasting energy on that. We are going to talk about the BRILLIANCE..which is Birdman.
The movie… not the hand lotion guy..
Okay.. ahem.. Birdman. Let’s get to the flick.
When people and critics.. because critics aren’t people. Unless they are delivering positive reviews of my music and in that cases, we are family and I hope you enjoyed your Holidays..
Let’s try this again. When critics describe movies as a “visual ride”, it’s usually in reference to the plot development of the film, solely. Seriously, this puts more of a literal spin on “visual ride” because director Alejandro González Iñárritu brilliantly chose to remove all seams in the movie and essentially turn the entire flick into one giant scene.. otherwise known as a long take. Adding to the refreshing perspective, is the aesthetic works of cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki. The subtle grimey color schemes, lived-in dinginess, invites you into the world of struggling actor Riggan Thompson (Michael Keaton), and his cast of emotional wrecks, ticking timebombs, and directionless souls trapped in the heart of Manhattan. It’s the one-two combo of A.G.I. and Lubezki, which draw you into the world of the film, almost feeling as if you are Thompson’s very shadow.
The music… oh, the music is incredibly ill. The backdrop score are barebones jazz drums , which build up and slow down depending on the unpredictable direction of the film. It really cements the film’s quirky feel.
Man, I went so far into the technical aspect of the film, I didn’t even explain what the heck it is about. LOL.
Okay, so I already explained Michael Keaton plays former action star Riggan Thompson; a washed up actor best known for his genre-defining comicbook movies, hell bent on breathing one last breath into his career with the premier of previous play he adapted to his own tastes. The eerie and , what I’m assuming is intentional, parallel to his own is so evident that it’s almost satirical, in a sense. He spends a great deal of the film haunted by his previous success which pigeonholed his career to the point of him eventually shying away from the public view.
We’re talking about “parallels” , right?? This is where it gets good.. lol. So, let me give you a bit of the plot before I explain the hilarious role of the costar.
Thompson, as I said, is putting all his chips on the table for his last hurrah in the form of a controversial adaptation of a play in Manhattan. Early in the film, it’s evident the play is plagued with script errors and poor acting. Through random events, a lead is no longer part of the film and has to be replaced. Who they replace it with is a pushy, temperamental, divo of an actor… played by the infamously hard-to-work-with Ed Norton. Hilarious! You can see how Thompson’s desperate , control freak demeanor conflicts with Norton’s character, as the celebrated actor who wants to accolades for his acting prowess.
The whole movie is spent following Thompson through his misadventures as he just tries to get this play off without a hitch and show the world he isn’t done, yet. For the world, they have moved past him; a generation has passed. The social dynamic shifted. He is counted out for all the wrong reasons when, inside, he is a person of immense talent, literally able to move things with the power of his mind. Literally… keep that in mind, as certain things play out in the film , due to his hidden abilities.
The personification of the weight of doubt he feels , is through his daughter Emma Stone; who, through a majority of the film, attempts to snap him out of the “fantasy” of making it, and back to “reality”. A reality she herself doesn’t quite understand, due to former vices. I think this is a powerful metaphor for the social network generation, as we are all but literally addicted to various apps and social supplements we have grown to rely on.
Man… seriously, I feel , as a man of unorthodox ambition, I really related to this film. Doing music, there is such an indescribable pressure from all sides. From society placing him in the underdog status, to close ones placing voicing nearly-influential doubt, other folks trying to steal your energy and use it as the spark of their own drive… Just overall, people seeing little worth and showing little belief. All the while, you have done, and are capable of doing the amazing… and all it takes is that right opportunity and the world will know.
I really encourage you to check this film out. It’s funny. It’s intelligent. It’s creative. It’s inventive. It is Its crazy. It’s a damn good film. See it while it is in theaters and thank me , after!
I give it a 10/10.
See it.
Alright RoQ Riffs!! You know what to do!! Let me know what you think, below.
Until next time.. and live from Phoenix.
“THE CULTURE IS BACK!!”
Peeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaacccceee
– RoQy TyRaiD
Yes, I’ll be back through at the top of the New Year… with more dope underground / indie hiphop for you good people!!