You’re going to laugh, but when I ranked all of the movies that won Best Picture in the 2010s, I put Birdman at number 1.
I’ve since realized the error of my ways, as Parasite was the best Best Picture winner of the 2010s. I still stand behind my belief that Birdman is an absolute masterpiece, and definitely one of the best movies TO win Best Picture.
However, I constantly see it near the bottom of Best Picture lists, with some people even saying that it’s one of the WORST Best Picture winners ever, which is totally incorrect. Let’s talk.
I Get It. People Think It's Pretentious, But Is It Really?
The biggest complaint I hear about Birdman is that it’s “pretentious.” The story of a washed-up Hollywood actor who is trying to make a comeback by writing, directing, and starring in a Broadway stage play based on a Raymond Carver short story. I could get how that description alone makes it sound pretentious.
That said, it’s really not, and I think it’s all because of Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu’s lively, upbeat, though sometimes maddening direction. Birdman is a lot of things, and you can enjoy it for any one of those things. It’s the story of a man slowly edging into insanity. It’s a commentary on Hollywood fame and the ubiquitous superhero movies of the time. It’s a story about the conflict of trying to be a great actor, but also a good father.
Plus, it’s all set to a wonderful, fluid jazz soundtrack, and it also feels like one long, continuous take. I get why some people might view that as pretentious, but it doesn’t feel pretentious while you’re viewing it. It’s not plodding, and it never actually feels like it’s taking itself seriously. If anything, it’s surprisingly fun and engaging, and “pretentious” is one of the last things that I’d ever call it. “A masterpiece” is a better term.
It Also Still Bums Me Out That Michael Keaton Didn't Win Best Actor
I’ll never forget the disappointment on Michael Keaton’s face when he lost Best Actor to The Theory of Everything’s Eddie Redmayne. It’s not like I don’t like The Theory of Everything. I do! It’s just that Birdman felt like such a personal movie for Keaton, as he’s often cited as the best Batman actor ever, and here he's playing an actor famous for playing a superhero.
This really seemed to blur the lines between art and reality, as Birdman’s Riggan Thomson, who Keaton portrays in the film, feels like a composite of Keaton’s real Hollywood career. Here was an actor who many still associate with a superhero, and what came out the other end was an actor who had to prove just how good he was so that he wasn’t consumed by the character that made him a megastar. I really do feel like Birdman was Keaton’s best chance at winning Best Actor, and he didn’t, which still bums me out.
I Think People Still Dislike The Ending, But It's My Favorite Part Of The Film
Finally, I think people dislike Birdman so much because they hate the ending, as it’s one of those ambiguous conclusions that presents more questions than answers. This also lends itself to people thinking it’s pretentious, or even bad, similar to The Sopranos’ ending. Like The Sopranos, what I love about Birdman’s conclusion is that people are still talking about it, even years later.
In fact, its ambiguous ending might be the film’s most lasting legacy, which I know people dislike, but I think that adds to its masterpiece status. I genuinely do think that people will be discussing that ending for many years to come, which means that it left a lasting impression on a lot of people, as all masterpieces do.
