|
 "Birdman" sits on a rather privileged perch as a favorite for
film industry awards, but director Alejandro Inarritu can only
laugh at the irony that he, like his protagonist in the show biz
satire, is caught up in the quest for validation.
"I'm doing this interview; I feel like Riggan Thomson trying to
sell my own shit," the Mexican filmmaker said, referring to the
film's lead character.
"Birdman," Inarritu's first foray into comedy, follows former
superhero actor Riggan, now washed up in New York and
desperately attempting a comeback by trying to stage a Broadway
play.
Shot in seemingly one continuous take in the claustrophobic
confines of a theater's backstage, Riggan, played by Michael
Keaton, deals with tense relationships with family, friends and
colleagues while preparing his play.
The film leads nominees for Sunday's Golden Globes and could
replicate that position with Oscar nominations next week.
Inarritu set the film in a surreal world that marries Riggan's
reality with his surreal consciousness, which takes the form of
his former superhero on-screen alter-ego, Birdman.
"It's basically a film about mediocrity, about ego and his
ambitions," he said. "Those things in a way are very subjective,
very internal process of the voices we have inside."
While the Fox Searchlight film offers a biting commentary on the
current entertainment industry - from the superhero franchises
dominating the box office to audiences' obsession with social
media - Inarritu said the real message came down to the value of
art versus celebrity.
"This character's lost in a sea of shit, trying to find himself
with art," he said.
[to top of second column] |
'SUSPICIOUS OF NOMINATIONS'
As Riggan races towards the opening night of his play, he battles
with society's notions of fame and success, including a showdown
with a newspaper critic who will determine his triumph or failure.
"The big battle here is what is art and what is commerce," Inarritu
said.
Keaton was one of the director's best choices for the lead role, and
not just because he played Batman in the 1989 and 1992 films.
"His character can be ... not likeable, selfish, but I need somebody
that people can really relate to, not judge but to empathize
(with)," he said.
Inarritu, who co-wrote the script, found inspiration for Riggan's
connections to women from his own life.
"He got admiration in a time of his life but that admiration didn't
fulfill him," he said. "What he needed was affection, but he didn't
know that he needed that."
Sparring with Keaton is Edward Norton as the younger, more famous
star in Riggan's play and Emma Stone as his recovering addict
daughter. All three have been nominated for Golden Globes in the
actor and supporting actor categories.
"I'm suspicious always about nominations because always they are
basically coins of two sides and if you fall on one side, you become
from winner or nominated to loser, which I am an expert about,"
Inarritu quipped.
"To take this seriously, I think is a huge mistake."
(Editing by Mary Milliken and Cynthia Osterman)
[© 2014 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2014 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
 |
