Skip to footer

Michael Keaton stars in 'Birdman': Check out the trailer

Michael Keaton stars in the movie 'Birdman,' which follows an actor who's best known for playing a superhero and who is trying to make a comeback on Broadway. Michael Keaton recently starred in 'Robocop.'

|
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Michael Keaton stars in 'Birdman.'
  • By Robert Yaniz Jr. Screen Rant

Today’s kids may know Christian Bale as their definitive take on the Dark Knight, but to an entire generation growing up in the late 1980s/early 1990s, Michael Keaton was their Batman. The actor – who donned the cowl and cape in the 1989 Batman and its 1992 sequel – has largely avoided the superhero genre since leaving his most iconic role behind, spending the last decade or so focusing on supporting turns (Robocop, The Other Guys) and voice work (his Ken was widely considered a highlight in Toy Story 3). However, that’s all about to change with Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu’sBirdman – well, sort of.

In the film, Keaton plays a washed-up actor – best known for playing the titular superhero – who aims to make a comeback on the Broadway stage. Other than some set photos of Keaton and the aforementioned costumed hero, fans have been left to speculate on what to expect form the final film. Now, thanks to Fox Searchlight, we have the first trailer for Birdman (see above).

From its haunting use of Gnarls Barkley’s “Crazy” to the tracking shot of a weathered, tired Keaton, Birdman looks like it could very well be to superheroes what Black Swan is to ballerinas, in that it follows the behind-the-scenes psychological turmoil that befalls a performer in the pursuit of greatness. Furthermore, the leaked set photos indicate that the eponymous hero is shadowing Keaton’s character as he tries to shed his superhero image, which may mean that his character is even more damaged than the footage suggests.

This premise alone has promise, but with the pitch-perfect casting of Keaton in the lead role,Birdman boasts an art-imitating-life approach that should lend even more strength to the material onscreen. The film reportedly plays a dark comedy, but considering that Inarritu is best known for somber Oscar-nominated dramas like Babel and 21 Grams, Birdman could (as the trailer suggests) be more of a compelling character piece than a comic romp.

Of course, it’s far too soon to tell how Birdman will turn out or if the film will lead to something of a comeback for Keaton. For all we know, the film could very well prove to be a contender for Oscar gold next year. In any case, the stunning ensemble cast – which also includes Emma Stone, Naomi Watts, Zach Galifianakis, Amy Ryan and Edward Norton – makes Birdman one to watch.

Robert Yaniz Jr. blogs at Screen Rant.

You've read  of  free articles. Subscribe to continue.
Real news can be honest, hopeful, credible, constructive.
What is the Monitor difference? Tackling the tough headlines – with humanity. Listening to sources – with respect. Seeing the story that others are missing by reporting what so often gets overlooked: the values that connect us. That’s Monitor reporting – news that changes how you see the world.
editor@csmonitor.com
Subscribe
Mark Sappenfield
Editor

Dear Reader,

About a year ago, I happened upon this statement about the Monitor in the Harvard Business Review – under the charming heading of “do things that don’t interest you”:

“Many things that end up” being meaningful, writes social scientist Joseph Grenny, “have come from conference workshops, articles, or online videos that began as a chore and ended with an insight. My work in Kenya, for example, was heavily influenced by a Christian Science Monitor article I had forced myself to read 10 years earlier. Sometimes, we call things ‘boring’ simply because they lie outside the box we are currently in.”

If you were to come up with a punchline to a joke about the Monitor, that would probably be it. We’re seen as being global, fair, insightful, and perhaps a bit too earnest. We’re the bran muffin of journalism.

But you know what? We change lives. And I’m going to argue that we change lives precisely because we force open that too-small box that most human beings think they live in.

The Monitor is a peculiar little publication that’s hard for the world to figure out. We’re run by a church, but we’re not only for church members and we’re not about converting people. We’re known as being fair even as the world becomes as polarized as at any time since the newspaper’s founding in 1908.

We have a mission beyond circulation, we want to bridge divides. We’re about kicking down the door of thought everywhere and saying, “You are bigger and more capable than you realize. And we can prove it.”

If you’re looking for bran muffin journalism, you can subscribe to the Monitor for $15. You’ll get the Monitor Weekly magazine, the Monitor Daily email, and unlimited access to CSMonitor.com.

Subscribe to insightful journalism

QR Code to Michael Keaton stars in 'Birdman': Check out the trailer
Read this article in
https://www.csmonitor.com/The-Culture/Culture-Cafe/2014/0613/Michael-Keaton-stars-in-Birdman-Check-out-the-trailer
QR Code to Subscription page
Start your subscription today
https://www.csmonitor.com/subscribe