“a thing is a thing, not what is said of that thing.”

an intense and innovative character study that sweeps you up in a whirlwind of unrelenting, feverish tension. at times it threatens to feel as cruel and self-absorbed as its characters, but the artistic experimentation works in service of exposing the damage of a frightening & inhumane culture on a narcissistic human psyche. 

with its rich subject matter, Birdman joins the ranks of Sunset Boulevard & BoJack Horseman in exploring the devastating impact of pursuing fame as a means of defining one’s self-worth, only to be cast aside and forgotten by an unforgiving industry. while I far prefer either of the aforementioned works and their approach to a similar set of ideas, I can’t deny the impact of Birdman’s stylish and affecting vision as it addresses questions of truth, sanity, selfhood, and the purpose of art.