Where do we even begin with this clip from Alejandro Iñárritu's upcoming Birdman? Perhaps we could start by talking about the fervent pace the movie's able to achieve just by following Riggan Thomson (Michael Keaton) out of the St. James Theatre, down 44th St. and into a bar as he trades verbal blows with the lead actor of his play, Mike Shiner (Edward Norton), the auteuristic actor Riggan will never be.
Or maybe we can talk about the jazz. Literally the syncopated drums that provide the backbone to the scene, but more figuratively the feeling of improvisation Birdman has.
And what about the dialogue? Norton's lines, "Popularity is the slutty little cousin of prestige" and then, "If this doesn't work out for you, you fuck off back to your studio palace and dive back into that cultural genocide you guys are perpetrating" are straight up poetry, and might only be matched by Keaton's mix of desperation and annoyance.
But you know what? We're tired of talking. We just wanna watch. Birdman hits theaters on Oct. 17, so until then we'll just run this clip on loop. You should too.
