294 – Birdman (2014)

Well my survey of Alejandro González Iñárritu’s directorial oeuvre stalled out around the halfway point. That would be a more impressive statement if his filmography up to this point had not been solely four films. I just ran out of time to watch Babel and Biutiful before González Iñárritu’s newest film, Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance), was released, but from what I have seen, I am (perhaps prematurely) prepared to declare him a pretentious filmmaker with a very strong eye for the technical aspect of cinema. Birdman has finally roosted in the cultural consciousness, and it is time to determine whether the film represents the hatching of a new era for the auteur; a “molting,” if you will.

286 – 21 Grams (2003)

My rapid re-visit of Alejandro González Iñárritu’s career (in preparation for Birdman) continues with 21 Grams – the only Iñárritu film I have already seen the entirety of. The film stars Sean Penn, Naomi Watts, and Benecio del Toro as three deeply broken people, whose lives are tightly intertwined.

285 – St. Vincent (2014)

Over the last couple of years Bill Murray has focused less on starring in movies and more on becoming everyone’s fun, drunk uncle. The stories of Murray crashing parties only to tell the attendees that no one will ever believe them are innumerable. At this point, we believe them. It feels like a natural progression for a rebellious actor who allegedly doesn’t even have an agent, instead selecting projects based on what is pitched to him via answering machine. Murray’s legend is slowly becoming more famous than the man himself, so it is always nice to see him come back down to earth to star in a movie.