VENICE: The Venice film festival opened with a bang on Wednesday with a brilliant superhero dark comedy that delves into the cinema and theatre worlds to explore the drug that is fame.

The first flick to compete at the world’s oldest film festival, Mexican director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu’s “Birdman or the Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance”, stars Michael Keaton of “Beetlejuice” and “Batman” fame.

In one of 20 films vying for the coveted Golden Lion award, Keaton plays a washed-up actor who was once famous for playing the “Birdman” superhero but is now struggling to stage a Broadway play in a bid to regain his former glory.

For all his attempts to create a worthy on-stage performance, he finds it increasingly difficult to leave the “Birdman” character behind, hearing his rich, gravelly tones in his head, calling for a return to the big screen.

The line between fiction and reality blurs as Keaton’s character Riggan struggles to keep his superpowers under control and allows his self-pity and arrogance to distract him from serious family and girlfriend problems.

Unlike his Don Quixote-style character here, Keaton said he was not haunted by his “Batman” films — but that everyone is by their own personal “Birdman”.

“I love the idea of Birdman following you around. You all got a Birdman in your life, it’s your negative ego, so you either make peace with him or kick his arse or make him sit in the back seat, but you have to drive a car,” he said.

The film pokes fun at both actors and critics, such as the tweed-wearing interviewer who references philosopher Roland Barthes, or one of the actresses who asks her co-star “Why don’t I have any self respect?”, to which the reply is: “Because you’re an actress, honey.

Published in Dawn, August 28th, 2014