BIRDMAN, hotly tipped for Oscar glory next year, will be given in an exclusive Picturehose preview screening at City Screen, York, on Sunday at 12.40pm.

Directed by Mexican filmmaker Alejandro González Iñárritu, Birdman (or The Unexpected Virtue Of Ignorance), is a wild, savagely humorous black comedy that is "not at all your usual kind of superhero movie"

Former Batman star Michael Keaton plays Riggan Thomson, a washed-up actor who made his name starring in an iconic Hollywood franchise about the Birdman. Now he longs to be taken seriously as a Broadway playwright and director, but his theatre production is dogged by disaster and his Birdman alter ego will not leave him alone.

When famous stage actor Mike Shiner (Edward Norton) is persuaded to join the show at the last minute, Riggan’s prayers seem to have been answered, but instead Mike’s raging ego threatens to destroy Riggan’s dreams for good.

"Birdman marries scurrilous showbiz satire with the poignant tale of a man facing up to his own obsolescence, and Michael Keaton’s performance is absolutely fearless," says Dave Taylor, City Screen’s marketing manager. "Birdman is a truly dazzling film."

Iñárritu's cast also features Zach Galifianakis, Andrea Riseborough, Amy Ryan, Naomi Watts and Emma Stone and the film was shot by Gravity cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki to appear one long continuous take.

Birdman represents a departure in film style for Inarritu, whose past works, such as 21 Grams, Babel and Biutiful, were sombre and pessimistic in tone whereas the new movie is a magic-realist comedy.

Tickets for Sunday's preview are on sale on 0871 902 5726 or at picturehouses.co.uk/york. Birdman (15) opens at City Screen on January 2.

Competition

Courtesy of City Screen, York, The Press has two Birdman T-shirts to be won.

Question: Who directed Birdman?

Send your answer by email to charles.hutchinson@nqyne.co.uk by December 31.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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