Birdman may be the single strangest movie of 2014, however it will undoubtedly go down as one of the year’s best films. The fantastic performances, ground-breaking cinematography, creative writing, and ambitious direction from Alejandro Iñárritu combine to create a true cinematic masterpiece.

The film tells the story of Riggin Thomson, a washed-up actor who is trying to make an artistic comeback into relevancy after playing the superhero Birdman. Riggin is played brilliantly by Michael Keaton, who used to play Batman in Tim Burton’s Batman franchise. This perhaps helped Keaton relate to Riggin, as both lost relevancy after being a part of a blockbuster superhero franchise. However Keaton has thrust himself back into the spotlight after his performance in Birdman. He expertly portrays a man who has to deal with the struggles of directing and writing a Broadway play while he attempts to prove that he can be a true artistic actor.

Keaton is joined by a stellar supporting cast. Edward Norton plays a neurotic method actor who is exceedingly talented yet extremely difficult to work with. Emma Stone plays Riggin’s distant, drug-addicted daughter who tries to bring her father into the internet driven 21st century, although he is less than willing to join her. These two, along with Keaton, have all received Oscar nominations for their performances. The cast is rounded out by Naomi Watts, who does a fine job as one of the play’s actors, and Zach Galifianakis, who breaks away from his usual weird but funny fat guy role.

However, perhaps the true star of Birdman is the cinematography. The movie is filmed to create the illusion that it is one continuous shot. The genius behind this was Emmanuel Lubezki, who also worked on the 2013 film Gravity. The cinematography keeps every shot fast-paced and exciting and contributes to the masterpiece that this movie truly is.

Alejandro Iñárritu truly created a masterpiece with this film. Despite being so outlandish it makes viewers question what constitutes real art and how important social media really is without being overly preachy. Birdman goes completely against today’s Hollywood formula, which makes it an incredible breath of fresh air.