Theater is one of the main resources to make films, a long list of plays based on books or plays based on plays been made throughout the film history. But make a film about the making of a play is pretty rare.

Birdman which tells the story of Riggan Thomson (Michael Keaton) an actor famous for portraying a action hero on hollywood films. Birdman a fictional character Batman type who haunts Riggan as a voice and alter ego. Riggan is struggling to become actor, director, writer from a theater play in NY escaping the blockbuster world and making real art on stage.

Alejandro Gonzales Iñarritu (Amores Perros, 21 Grams, Babel) directs an stellar cast Michael Keaton, Zach Galifianakis, Edward Norton, Naomi Watts and Emma Stone with groundbreaking film techniques by Director of Photography Oscar winner for Gravity Emmanuel Lubezki creating the illusion of a single shot instead of several editing cuts.

Replicating techniques like Alfred Hitchcock "The Rope" Gonzales Iñarritu and Lubezki use halls and passages as well dark rooms to transition between shots Douglas Crise and Stephen Mirrione edit the film masterfully.

Gonzales Iñarritu pay tribute to theater by using the single shot technique instead of several cuts a perfect fit for a theater goer who basically have to choose which angle to see and where to cut.

Michael Keaton is amazing, as well Edward Norton.
Antonio Sanchez score is masterful.