--- title: "Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance): the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/birdman-or-the-unexpected-virtue-of-ignorance/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/birdman-or-the-unexpected-virtue-of-ignorance" critics_score: 81 critics_reviews: 15 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (2014): what the critics said Critics' score 81 from 15 reviews: 12 positive, 2 mixed, 1 negative. Most critics respond warmly to Birdman’s backstage comedy, with praise clustering around Michael Keaton’s exposed, ego-driven performance and the illusion of a continuous take. The reviews find vulnerability beneath his character’s vanity, while Edward Norton and Emma Stone draw notice among the supporting cast. The fluid camerawork gives the theatre setting momentum and captures the pressure of putting on a play. Many also welcome Iñárritu’s humour, finding the comedy increasingly poignant as professional ambition meets personal insecurity. The spread is wide, however, with disagreement centred on the writing rather than the performances. Some find the satire sharp and the theatrical setting persuasive; others see familiar complaints about celebrity delivered with excessive explanation. Vulture admires the technique but finds the characters tiresome and the script unoriginal. Slant Magazine is harsher about the humour and lack of empathy, while Deadline praises Keaton but objects to dated Broadway clichés and the portrayal of theatre critics. ## Time Out — Cath Clarke Rating 5/5. 27 August 2014. Festival review. Iñárritu’s savagely funny and brilliant comedy about a washed-up actor’s Broadway reinvention is dazzling, intimate and carried by an infectious jazz score. Keaton is dream casting in a fearless, ego-driven lead role. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/birdman) ## Variety — Peter Debruge Fi1m's normalised score 95/100 (inferred from the text). 27 August 2014. Festival review. Michael Keaton delivers a startling comeback in Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s blistering showbiz satire about a has-been actor mounting a Broadway vanity project. The film is a triumph on every creative level, from casting to execution, electrifying industry and audiences alike. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2014/film/festivals/venice-film-review-birdman-or-the-unexpected-virtue-of-ignorance-1201287921/) ## Los Angeles Times — Betsy Sharkey Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 16 October 2014. The director’s surrealist portrait of modern times and the cult of celebrity soars despite occasional flaws, with Michael Keaton delivering an intensely truthful performance that blends fantasy and reality effortlessly. Supporting turns from Edward Norton and Emma Stone add to the brilliance of the ensemble and technical execution. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-birdman-review-20141017-column.html) ## Screen Daily Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 27 August 2014. Festival review. A magnificent technical tour de force and smartly scripted black comedy that showcases Keaton’s range and charisma. Iñárritu delivers a precisely staged, real-time dive into an actor’s creative and personal crises. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/birdman/5076649.article) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 25 December 2014. The critic praises the film's delirious, hallucinatory showbiz comedy and technical virtuosity in its single-take style, calling it a delicious pleasure. He singles out Michael Keaton's performance as the failing movie star for its fiercely tender self-pity. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/dec/25/birdman-unexpected-virtue-of-ignorance-film-review) ## Evening Standard — Derek Malcolm Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 29 August 2014. Festival review. An expertly delivered black comedy about showbiz, celebrity, fantasy and reality that marks a genuine coup for the festival. Keaton has never been better in a performance that deconstructs an actor’s ego, with strong support and popular appeal. [Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/venice-film-festival-birdman-or-the-unexpected-virtue-of-ignorance-movie-review-michael-keaton-has-never-been-better-9693103.html) ## The AV Club Rating B+. 12 October 2014. Festival review. The critic finds the long-take style effective for capturing theatrical immediacy and creation's rush, though less successful as a star persona dissection, with strong ensemble work. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/nyff-2014-birdman-closes-the-fest-but-edward-snowden-1798272941) ## Little White Lies — Adam Woodward Rating 5/4/5. 1 January 2015. The critic praises Iñárritu’s most innovative work yet for its continuous-shot style and technical brilliance. Michael Keaton delivers a career-highlight performance as the narcissistic, haunted actor Riggan Thompson. [Read the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/birdman) ## The Independent Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 27 August 2014. Festival review. A bravura backstage drama that becomes funnier and more poignant as it goes, with heroism alongside vanity in the central project. It features strong ensemble turns, especially from Keaton and Norton, and astonishing cinematography that maintains momentum despite the theatre setting. [Read the review](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/reviews/birdman-or-the-unexpected-virtue-of-ignorance-venice-film-festival-opening-film-review-funny-and-poignant-9694212.html) ## Vulture Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 14 October 2014. The critic admires the technical tour de force and energetic performances but finds the script unoriginal, characters tiresome, and satire lacking freshness. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/2014/10/movie-review-birdman.html) ## Slant Magazine — R. Kurt Osenlund Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 13 October 2014. The critic notes the film's fascinating theater-world depiction and strong cast but criticizes the spoon-fed satire, puerile humor, and lack of novel insights or empathy. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/birdman/) ## Empire — Ian Freer 31 July 2014. The film is a compelling, unclassifiable portrait of artistic angst that starts as black comedy and becomes poignant and affecting. It is a tour de force of technique and performance, especially Keaton’s, that is vital, challenging and emotionally affecting. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/birdman-unexpected-virtue-ignorance-review/) ## Film Comment — David Fear 1 November 2014. The critic calls the film an extraordinary work that drops viewers into an actor’s mind full of insecurities, vanity, and an inner critic, creating a dazzling subjective whirlwind. Praise goes to Michael Keaton’s vulnerable, career-highlight performance and Iñárritu’s shift to a more playful yet profound technical and thematic approach with the long-take style. [Read the review](https://www.filmcomment.com/birdman-or-the-unexpected-virtue-of-ignorance/) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Todd McCarthy 27 August 2014. Festival review. The critic praises the film's visually fluid tour de force direction and strong performances, especially Keaton's, in exploring celebrity and creativity, while noting some dramaturgical issues. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/birdman-venice-review-727190/) ## The New York Times — Manohla Dargis Rating Critic's Pick. 17 October 2014. The film is a funny, frenetic and buoyant entertainment from Alejandro G. Iñárritu, with Michael Keaton as a Hollywood has-been mounting a Broadway play. It highlights the director's shift to a lighter mood while focusing on the actor's career redemption efforts. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/17/movies/birdman-stars-michael-keaton-and-emma-stone.html) ## Total Film — Jamie Graham 29 December 2014. Birdman is a frenetic, splenetic and dizzyingly inventive backstage melodrama, showbiz satire and deconstruction of the ego that reaches beyond entertainment to explore parents, children and legacy. It is technically exhilarating with a vanity-free lead performance from Keaton. [Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/birdman-review/) ## Den of Geek — David Crow Rating 5/5. 11 October 2014. Festival review. The review describes Birdman as a true original and hypnotic primal screech for adulation, standing out amid other metafictions with its innovative single-take illusion and Keaton’s career-best tragicomic performance. It singles out the seamless Lubezki camerawork that turns the lens into a character and the film’s blend of drama, fable, and satire on fame and art vs. commerce. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/birdman-review/) ## The Playlist — The Playlist Staff Rating A. 27 August 2014. Festival review. The critic calls the film phenomenal for its mix of humor, thoughtfulness and inventive storytelling. They single out the dazzling one-shot camerawork by Emmanuel Lubezki as perfectly matched to the themes of risk and rebirth. [Read the review](https://theplaylist.net/venice-review-alejandro-gonzalez-inarritus-birdman-with-michael-keaton-emma-stone-ed-norton-more-20140827/) ## Consequence Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 24 October 2014. The film is a bold, ambitious, dizzying satirical assault on the state of modern cinema that largely succeeds despite occasional pretension. Standout performances from Michael Keaton and Edward Norton are singled out for praise. [Read the review](https://consequence.net/2014/10/birdman-or-the-unexpected-virtue-of-ignorance/) ## Collider — Matt Goldberg Rating C-. 24 October 2014. The critic finds the film pretentious and overly explanatory, criticizing its lack of subtlety and heavy-handed satire on fame and cinema. The talented cast is acknowledged but undermined by the film's pandering and self-important approach. [Read the review](https://collider.com/birdman-review-michael-keaton/) ## Deadline — Jeremy Gerard 13 October 2014. Festival review. The critic praises the film's fluid camerawork and Michael Keaton's humane performance as a washed-up actor mounting a Broadway play. He finds the story's Broadway clichés outdated and its view of theater critics ludicrous. [Read the review](https://deadline.com/2014/10/birdman-soars-swoops-through-inarritus-broadway-fantasy-n-y-film-fest-850772/) ## The Wrap 27 August 2014. Festival review. The review highlights the film's intelligent, unpredictable look at actors and their egos, with strong ensemble work led by Keaton. It notes the director's newfound humor and the bravura continuous-take camerawork, while finding some fantastical elements occasionally precious. [Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/birdman-venice-review-michael-keaton-emma-stone-naomi-watts/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/birdman-or-the-unexpected-virtue-of-ignorance.md