海角大神

The film 鈥淏irdman,鈥� which stars Michael Keaton as an actor who famously starred in a superhero and is now attempting to act in a show on Broadway, opened to almost universally rave reviews at the Venice Film Festival.

The movie, which opened the festival, also stars 鈥淢agic in the Moonlight鈥� actress Emma Stone as the daughter of Keaton鈥檚 character, Riggan Thomson; 鈥淒iana鈥� actress Naomi Watts as an actress who dreams of making it big; and Edward Norton of 鈥淭he Grand Budapest Hotel鈥� as Mike Shiner, an egotistical actor. It鈥檚 directed by Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu of 鈥淏iutiful鈥� and 鈥淏abel.鈥�

Many reviews of the movie so far are wildly positive, with critic Peter Debruge writing that Keaton delivers 鈥渢he comeback of the century.鈥澛�

鈥淸The movie is] a blisteringly hot-blooded, defiantly anti-formulaic look at a has-been movie star鈥檚 attempts to resuscitate his career by mounting a vanity project on Broadway,鈥� he wrote. 鈥淚n a year overloaded with self-aware showbiz satires, Alejandro G. Inarritu鈥檚 fifth and best feature provides the delirious coup de grace 鈥� a triumph on every creative level, from casting to execution, that will electrify the industry, captivate arthouse and megaplex crowds alike, send awards pundits into orbit and give fresh wings to Keaton鈥檚 career.鈥澛�

Meanwhile, Todd McCarthy of the wrote of the film, 鈥淚ntense emotional currents and the jagged feelings of volatile actors are turned loose to raucous dramatic and darkly comedic effect in one of the most sustained examples of visually fluid tour de force cinema anyone's ever seen鈥� An exemplary cast, led by Michael Keaton鈥� fully meets the considerable demands placed upon it by director Alejandro G. Inarritu鈥� The film's exhilarating originality, black comedy and tone that is at once empathetic and acidic will surely strike a strong chord with audiences looking for something fresh.鈥�

And critic Robbie Collin found the movie to be a 鈥渂eautiful, hilarious, film-defying film鈥� This is, in at least two senses, the role of Keaton鈥檚 career. He summons up all the manic comic energy of his early work in films like Night Shift and Beetlejuice, but Riggan seems half-fried by it, and as the heat increases on all sides, you can almost smell him sizzling. And Keaton could hardly be better supported: Norton is uproarious as a preening, Method-acting nightmare; Watts and Riseborough note-perfect as actresses jangled by daft insecurities; Stone tremendous as the lone voice of reason, faltering and defiant.鈥澛�

However, reviewer Xan Brooks was less impressed by the film, writing that 鈥渢he acting is clamorous verging on the indulgent,鈥� though he found that 鈥渢he script cuts like a knife even when the editor does not鈥� [but] it鈥檚 a depthless, self-absorbed film.鈥澛�

鈥淏irdman鈥� hits theaters on Oct. 17.