QUICK TAKES: Birdman, Saturday Night, and Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

Courtesy of Fox Searchlight

Birdman

(Rated R for language throughout, some sexual content and brief violence.)

The cast: Michael Keaton, Edward Norton, Zach Galifianakis, Emma Stone, Naomi Watts, Andrea Riseborough and Amy Ryan.

What it’s about: A once-popular actor (Keaton), best known for playing an iconic superhero and walking away from the lucrative sequels, attempts to stage a comeback by writing, directing and starring in a Broadway play. As opening night approaches, he must battle his ego and do right by his fellow actors (Norton, Watts and Riseborough), as well as his daughter (Stone).

The good: Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu is a polarizing filmmaker whose work generally focuses on the bleakest elements of humanity. I wouldn’t exactly classify his latest as sunshine and rainbows, but it’s nice to see him lighten up considerably. I appreciate the way he tells his story in a daring and innovative way – he and cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki stage the film as if it’s one continuous shot. There are a few places where different takes are spliced together, but the actors still had to perform incredibly long, dialogue-heavy scenes while simultaneously pulling off challenging choreography in the narrow backstage areas of Broadway’s St. James Theatre. The degree of difficulty must’ve been astounding.

Everyone in the cast is fantastic, but Keaton and Norton are the standouts. The former Batman is in almost every scene, and playing a character like Riggan Thompson has to be physically and emotionally exhausting. At the moment, I’d imagine the Best Actor statue is his to lose. Norton appears to be having a blast, playing an exaggerated version of his public persona. His character’s fights with Riggan over creativity and work ethic are a blast to watch. Stone and Riseborough have the most compelling female roles, though the latter doesn’t get the opportunity to fully explore the complexity of her character.

The not-so-good: The worst thing about this film is that I had to write my review after only seeing it once. It’s so layered, and so relentlessly busy, that multiple viewings are essential. But I also don’t think it’s quite as smart, or the satire quite as biting, as Inarritu and his co-writers (Nicolas Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris and Armando Bo) think it is. The narrative is the standard “actor must weigh his ego against his humanity,” although it’s executed in an exceptionally creative fashion. It’s beloved by critics (including me, despite a few misgivings), but I think it’s going to divide the moviegoing public. But that’s fine; debate is healthy and life would be boring if we all agreed on everything.

Grade: A-

Courtesy of Hulu

Saturday Night

(Not rated, but contains strong language.)

The cast: John Malkovich, Bill Hader, Fred Armisen, Will Forte, Casey Wilson, Seth Meyers, Lorne Michaels and others.

What it’s about: In 2008, Saturday Night Live mastermind Michaels granted director James Franco unprecedented behind-the-scenes access to capture how an episode of the legendary comedy show is created. The documentary begins with the cast and writers pitching sketch ideas to Michaels and Malkovich, that week’s host, and takes viewers through the writing process, rehearsals and the live show.

The good: Watching the intricate, grueling method of getting a show on the air is fascinating, especially if you’re a die-hard fan like me. There are no new secrets revealed (especially if you’ve read Live From New York, James Andrew Miller and Tom Shales’ comprehensive history of the show), but reading about it and seeing it are completely different experiences. Franco, who employs a simple point-and-shoot style, lucked out with Malkovich as that week’s host. The notoriously quirky actor is game for anything, laughing hysterically at certain sketch ideas and smiling politely when a bit’s clearly not funny. No diva antics from him; in fact, he comes across as – gasp! – polite and normal.

Viewers also get to see how some cast members thrive in the chaotic environment, including Hader, Armisen, Forte, Meyers and Kristen Wiig (who’s frequently seen but never interviewed), while others eventually crash and burn. The most prominent example in that category is Wilson, whose sketch dies so hard at the table read that it’s painful to watch. But the best part about the film? It’s currently streaming for free on Hulu.com.

The not-so-good: Even at a brisk 90 minutes, the film gets repetitive. And I mostly came away wondering why we never see Amy Poehler, who was the show’s most famous cast member back then. Since she and Wiig seemingly declined to participate in interviews, and the clearly insecure Wilson represents the prevailing female voice, the doc ends up feeling like a boys’ club.

Grade: B

Courtesy of Disney

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

(Rated PG for rude humor including some reckless behavior and language.)

The cast: Steve Carell, Jennifer Garner, Ed Oxenbould, Dylan Minnette and Kerris Dorsey.

What it’s about: For the klutzy, awkward Alexander (Oxenbould), every day is a bad one. It’s an experience the rest of his family can’t understand, since they all seem to lead extraordinarily fortunate lives. So, after a particularly frustrating birthday, he wishes that his parents and siblings could finally relate to his problem, and then blows out the candles on his cake. The next morning, through coincidence or divine intervention, he gets what he asked for.

The good: We all know Carell is hysterical, but Garner is a gifted physical comedienne who doesn’t get nearly enough opportunities to demonstrate those skills. Here, she matches the former The Office star laugh for laugh. They also make a believable married couple and seemingly great parents, though it seems insane that Garner is now old enough to play the mother of a 17-year-old son. Annoying child actors are a big pet peeve of mine (as frequent readers of this column probably know by now), so I’m happy to report that Oxenbould, Dorsey and Minnette don’t fit that mold. They all turn in solid, funny performances. Clocking in at a brisk 81 minutes, it’s a perfect fit for family movie night – with one big caveat I’ll talk about below.

The not-so-good: Some viewers might take issue with a quick scene that employs the word “penis” a couple of times. It didn’t bother me, considering it’s utilized in the biological sense – Garner’s character walks in on her teenage son in the shower and apologizes for what she sees. I just thought I’d provide a bit of advanced warning, since kids yelling that word as they exit the theater might get awkward. All told, the movie seems a bit more disposable that entertainment typically released under the Disney brand.

Grade: B