01. Birdman

Director: Alejandro G. Iñárritu

Release date: January 15, 2015

The deserving winner of this year’s Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay and Best Cinematography, Birdman is wondrous on many fronts. Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s masterpiece depicts a movie star in search of creative validation, trying to escape the spectre of the superhero with which he has become synonymous by staging an artsy adaptation of a Raymond Carver short story on Broadway. There is an obvious in-joke in the casting of Michael Keaton in the lead role, himself famous as Tim Burton’s version of Batman, and the viewer is swiftly reminded of his impeccable comedic timing.

Around Birdman’s emotional core are layers and devices that combine to make this a perfect piece of cinema. Iñárritu weaves pure movie magic to give the film its own abstract inner logic, a hyper reality that never confuses but mesmerises and uplifts the audience. Long, flowing takes are seamlessly strung together, the camera floating and bending time with masterful flair. The percussive soundtrack and sharp screenplay increase the film’s hypnotic and kinetic energy.