Among the vast number of flicks that seem like worthwhile and essential pieces of filmmaking in the multitude of Oscar contenders, there is Birdman/The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance.

This is definitely one of the most informative, transfixing, and gravitational art house films to have graced the screen for some time.  It is one of those rare gems that speaks with not only a cultural, but universal truth about the sorrowful void of everlasting egotism, as seen through the eyes of washed up blockbuster celeb Riggan Thompson (Michael Keaton).

With a visceral and darkly comic performance, Keaton commands the screen with both a sense of dread and undeniable humor. Though at times the method of madness behind Riggan feels inconsistent, director Alejandro Inarritu’s overall tone and David Lynch-esque visuals help fit the criteria of Riggan]s persona and psyche, giving the audience a better understanding of the film’s bizarre protagonist.

The tone is more than profound to readily set the audience up with an understanding of just how much of a daring character study it’s going to be.

Years after his Birdman feats, Riggan Thompson works as a Broadway actor and aspires to reclaim his past fame, a time when he thought he was a performer to be reckoned with, simply due to his position as a comic book character.  Held up with his own cancerous case of narcissism, Riggan is plagued by encounters with his mystical self (the fictional Birdman).

While not only gunning towards a chance at redemption, with a monumental stage performance, Riggan is forced to juggle his own inner demons, the rekindling of his relationship with his pot addicted daughter, and facing down an insightful and uppity yet relentlessly jaded co-thespian.

Sometimes the ego gets the best of a man, leaving him to make choices that would forevermore endanger his identity.  In this case, Inarritu makes an exception with the structure and direction of Riggan’s character arc.

Even when his plans tend to go more south than expected, Riggan still retains his spiritual identity as Birdman, completely blotting out the views of the public and press on his conflicted state.

Birdman is a sincere exploration of celebrity and acceptance of true identity in a world of inherent cynicism.  Though Inarritu’s technique at having the film be pretty much one whole tracking shot is peculiar, there is still a merit to this decision that is prone to interpretation.

This style of shooting possibly gives viewers the idea of the confinement and maze-like structure for Riggan and his fellow co-worker’s lives, and the longing for success in the face of imminent failure and disappointment.  Most of the film is either at Riggan’s apartment or at the theatre, while remaining one whole shot, scene-to-scene.

With all the nail-biting audacity and prime performances by an A list cast featuring the likes of Edward Norton, Naomi Watts (King Kong, Mulholland Drive), Emma Stone, Amy Ryan (Gone Baby Gone), and Zach Galifianakis (The Hangover), Birdman is bound to be up with the Academy’s standards.  I give it an 8.9/10.  Birdman/The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance to an October 17^th limited release and is rated R.