If there's one thing that the Academy loves, it's stories about Hollywood and the film industry itself. It's perhaps that quality which led Birdman to win big at the Oscars earlier this year, scooping four gongs, including Best Picture and Best Director for Alejandro G. Iñárritu. Focusing on a washed-up actor attempting to gain crediblity in the world of theatre, it casts a critical eye over the world of entertainment, criticism and the fickle typecasting of actors. Michael Keaton stars as Riggan Thomson, who has faded in the eyes of the movie world after initially becoming famous for playing the eponymous superhero. In an attempt to win back credibility, he mounts an ambitious theatre production of a Carver short story, for which he is writer, director and star. The play slowly drives Riggan insane, as he is forced to take part in frivolous interviews and is haunted regularly by the sharp-tongued embodiment of his most famous role. Birdman portrays the life of a famous actor as a constant battle to repeat their previous successes. It shows Riggan being driven mad by a desire to be taken seriously after the frivolous role that made him famous. Like so many of the subjects of the films on this list, Riggan is a man struggling to reconcile the art he wants to create with the celebrity that comes as a side effect of that.
Freelance film journalist and fan of professional wrestling. Usually found in a darkened screening room looking for an aisle seat and telling people to put away their mobile phones. Also known to do a bit of stand-up comedy, so I'm used to the occasional heckle.
