Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) 2014

Here’s a rephrased version of the section:

As the cinematic canvas unfolds, a sudden burst of rocket fuel injects a sense of kinetic energy into the narrative. The camera appears to be moving in tandem with the characters, creating an unbroken flow that propels us forward.

Riggan Thomson (Michael Keaton), a once-famed actor now struggling to find his footing, finds himself floating above the ground in his cramped and cluttered dressing room at St. James Theatre. The disembodied voice of Birdman, seemingly emanating from a poster on the wall, taunts him with cruel barbs about his fading relevance and the futility of attempting to revive his career through live theatre. Riggan’s discomfort is palpable as he bemoans the squalid conditions of his dressing room, which reeks of stale air and neglect.

The interruption of a video call from his assistant-daughter Sam (Emma Stone), currently stuck at a florist’s shop searching for the perfect blooms, serves as a welcome respite from Riggan’s angst. His desire for fragrant flowers is matched only by his disdain for roses, which he views as clichéd and insincere.

As he prepares to take the stage for rehearsal, Riggan’s manager, best friend, and play producer Jake (Zach Galifianakis) expresses concern about the wisdom of Riggan’s decision to star in, write, and direct a theatrical adaptation of Raymond Carver’s poignant short story “What We Talk About When We Talk About Love.” The production is already facing challenges, including the uneven performance of one of its actors, Ralph (Jeremy Shamos).

Upon arriving at the stage, Riggan finds himself among his fellow thespians, including Lesley (Naomi Watts), Laura (Andrea Riseborough), and a struggling actor who will soon become the unwitting victim of an unfortunate mishap. The camera’s unbroken flow allows us to witness the unfolding drama in all its messy glory.

As the rehearsal comes to a grinding halt due to Ralph’s sudden injury, Riggan must confront the harsh realities of his own fading star power and the challenges that lie ahead in bringing his creative vision to life.

The intense method actor, Mike (no stranger to immersion), dissected each line of dialogue with Riggan, ultimately committing to the ambitious play. His unwavering dedication was matched only by his unapologetic exhibitionism, as he shed his inhibitions and stripped naked in front of Sam, leaving her to confront her own discomfort. The arrival of Lesley, oblivious to Sam’s presence behind a rack of clothes, further complicated the situation, prompting Mike to hastily don attire before being reprimanded for his indecency.

Meanwhile, Riggan’s personal life was beset by turmoil. His girlfriend, Laura, revealed that she was pregnant, only to be met with Riggan’s lackluster response, which she astutely detected and promptly abandoned him. The production’s finances were also in disarray, as Jake struggled to keep the play afloat while navigating a lawsuit stemming from Ralph’s lurid online activities.

As preview performances commenced, Mike’s penchant for realism led him to indulge in genuine gin on stage. Unbeknownst to Riggan, the stage manager intervened just in time, substituting the real spirit with prop gin. When Mike discovered the switch during his monologue, he became incensed, breaking character and berating Riggan for failing to fully commit to the performance.

The curtain promptly fell, and the tension between the two men escalated into a heated argument. Riggan implored Mike not to ruin the production, while Mike countered that Riggan’s Hollywood credentials made him an interloper on Broadway. Jake astutely pointed out that Mike’s presence had boosted ticket sales, effectively handcuffing him to the production.

Riggan’s ex-wife, Sylvia (Amy Ryan), appeared in the wings, sensing her former husband’s distress. He confided in her about his financial woes, having refinanced their Malibu home to fund the play – a decision that would ultimately affect their daughter Sam’s future. As Riggan sought solace from Mike outside, he expressed concerns that Mike resented him for being a household name. Mike responded with characteristic candor, likening popularity to “the slutty little cousin of prestige.”

As Riggan Thomson (Jim Carrey) takes a seat at the local watering hole alongside his trusty confidant Mike (Steve Carell), the weight of his theatrical endeavor becomes palpable. For Riggan, this play represents a chance to recapture the magic of his youth, when a simple note from Raymond Carter on a humble napkin sufficed as validation. Mike, ever the pragmatist, attempts to temper Riggan’s enthusiasm by pointing out the tenuous nature of that praise, citing its origins on a bar napkin and Riggan’s inebriated state at the time. His words of wisdom fall on deaf ears, however, as Riggan is undeterred in his quest for artistic redemption.

As they exit the bar, Mike can’t resist needling Tabitha (Lindsay Duncan), the theatre critic whose review will make or break a play’s chances. Her opinion is the only one that truly matters, and Riggan is acutely aware of her influence on Broadway. It’s no wonder then that a family approaches Mike, eager to have their photo taken with Riggan, despite his fading star power.

On his way out, Mike can’t resist taunting Tabitha, predicting a scathing review should Riggan deliver anything less than perfection. He also takes the opportunity to defend his friend’s artistic merit, insisting that Riggan is more than just a washed-up movie star trying to recapture lost glory.

As the second preview unfolds, the cast and crew of “Homecoming” seem to be hitting their stride. However, as the curtain closes on the finale, Mike’s character finds himself in a compromising position with Lesley’s (Cameron Diaz) in a hotel bed. In a bizarre twist, Mike becomes convinced that they should take things to the next level and have sex for real on stage. His enthusiasm is short-lived, as Riggan bursts onto the scene, gun drawn, and Mike is forced to reveal his rather… prominent appendage to the entire audience.

The play’s climax sees Riggan delivering a poignant monologue as the crowd laughs at Mike’s, ahem, predicament. In a shocking turn of events, Mike takes things too far, literally, and the scene devolves into chaos. As the dust settles, the play comes to a close, and the cast takes their well-deserved bow.

Lesley is left reeling from the aftermath, while Riggan makes a beeline for her dressing room to offer words of encouragement. Unbeknownst to him, Laura (Sarah Silverman) is waiting in the wings, her own feelings of hurt and betrayal simmering just below the surface. As the two women lock lips, it becomes clear that Riggan’s grand gestures have awakened a newfound sense of self-awareness within both of them.

Riggan’s seething anger towards Mike continues to simmer, fueled by the prop gun’s lackluster realism in their play. Mike’s suggestion to upgrade to a more intimidating firearm only adds fuel to the fire, as Riggan struggles to contain his ire. Meanwhile, on the rooftop, Sam and Mike engage in a game of truth or dare, which takes an unexpected turn when she makes a provocative advance. However, Riggan’s confession about his long-dormant libido serves as a deflating blow, leaving Sam feeling embarrassed and her fleeing the scene.

The following day, the newspaper runs a front-page interview with Mike, who proudly takes credit for orchestrating the entire Raymond Carter debacle. Meanwhile, a small blurb buried deep within the paper barely mentions Riggan’s existence. Fueled by his own frustration and resentment, Riggan unleashes his pent-up fury on his hotel room, mentally destroying everything in his path - including a poster of Birdman.

As tensions between Riggan and Mike reach a boiling point, their fight spills over into the dressing room. The two actors are still seething with anger when they take to the stage for their performance. However, Riggan’s world is turned upside down once again when he catches Mike and Sam canoodling backstage. Seeking solace, he steps outside for a cigarette before his final scene - only to find himself locked out of the theatre, stuck in the bathroom door.

As he walks back to the stage through the crowded streets of Broadway, dressed only in his underwear, Riggan’s humiliation reaches new heights. He reenters the theatre, taking the stage from the audience and walking down the aisle in his undressed state, finger guns blazing. A quick-thinking crew member hands him a prop gun, allowing them to complete the scene.

Post-show, Riggan seeks refuge at the bar, where he encounters Tabitha once more. As he regales her with the story of the infamous Raymond Carter napkin, she remains unimpressed - so much so that she announces her intention to bury his play the very next day. Her disdain for movie stars trying to masquerade as real actors cuts Riggan deep, prompting him to insist he’s a legitimate actor. However, Tabitha isn’t convinced, instead branding him merely a celebrity with delusions of grandeur.

Here’s my rephrased version:

As the night wears off, Riggan stumbles out onto the city streets, his feet carrying him with newfound determination. Unbeknownst to him, the Birdman has taken hold, whispering words of temptation into his ear. The internalized voice goads him, convincing Riggan that he’s wasting his time on this play and should instead return to Hollywood, where a new Birdman blockbuster awaits. The streets around him transform into a cinematic spectacle, complete with explosions and towering robots - a surreal world that blurs the lines between reality and fantasy.

As the fantasy fades, Riggan finds himself perched precariously on the rooftop of a high-rise building. A concerned bystander intervenes, gently coaxing him away from the ledge. Riggan’s dazed expression belies his inner turmoil as he turns and dashes back down to solid ground. The streets blur once more as he takes to the skies, soaring above the city like a superhero before landing with a flourish at the St. James Theatre.

Disoriented but revitalized, Riggan slips into the theatre, where a cabbie awaits outside, fuming over an unpaid fare. Upon entering, he’s greeted by Sam, who’s been working tirelessly behind the scenes. They share a heartfelt conversation, during which she reveals her own struggles and the poignant lessons she’s learned in rehab - including the striking visual representation of human existence on toilet paper. For Riggan, this moment serves as a clarion call to refocus his priorities and find meaning in the play.

Laura later breaks the news that her pregnancy was merely a ruse, leaving Riggan reeling. Meanwhile, upstairs in the rafters, Sam and Mike engage in a tender but illicit encounter, their passion momentarily eclipsing the chaos below.

As the curtain rises on opening night, Riggan’s dressing room is awash with an assortment of bouquets, none of which hold a particular appeal for him. Sylvia pays a backstage visit, and amidst the pre-show jitters, they share a poignant heart-to-heart conversation. As she offers her well-wishes, Riggan opens up about his darkest moment: the night he almost gave in to despair, only to be foiled by the relentless sting of jellyfish as he tried to surrender to the ocean’s fury. He confides that he was forced to drag himself back to shore, and it’s this same desperation that drives him to seek redemption on stage tonight.

After Sylvia departs, Riggan retrieves a firearm from his belongings and makes his way to the theater. With a sense of resignation, he delivers a powerful monologue about the crushing realization of his own insignificance, before pulling the trigger in a shocking display of self-destructive catharsis. The audience is left stunned, while the rest of the cast erupts into applause - all except Tabitha, whose presence remains curiously absent.

As the “rockets” soar through the air once more, and jellyfish wash up on a sun-kissed beach, we find ourselves transported to Riggan’s hospital room. Jake breaks the news that the play has been met with widespread acclaim, ushering in an era of Ultra-Realism that will forever alter the theatrical landscape. The suspicion lingers that Riggan was unwittingly ignorant of the gun’s authenticity, as a scathing review dubs his performance “Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance.”

Riggan’s bandaged face, eerily reminiscent of the Birdman mask, bears witness to the aftermath of his self-inflicted wound. Sam presents him with a bouquet of his preferred flowers, only for Riggan to reveal that he managed to shoot himself in the nose instead of the intended target. As she departs to procure a vase, Riggan slips away to the bathroom, where he sheds his bandages and confronts his reflection.

Returning to his room, he gazes out the window at the birds taking flight, their carefree joy an affront to his own existential crisis. Seizing the moment, Riggan opens the door and steps onto the ledge, poised on the precipice of freedom. But just as Sam returns with the vase, Riggan vanishes into thin air, leaving her to gaze out at the empty expanse below before turning her attention upwards, a beatific smile illuminating her face.