I saw 2 movies on the plane.
Birdman w/ Michael Keaton and The Gambler with Marky Mark Walberg.
Is it The Birdman, like The Batman? Well both had similar themes and aging out of prime actors..
What I got out of the Gambler's mentality is
- if you aren't brilliant at something don't bother. The world has enough mediocre (writers).
- you are what you are. He's a gambler even when he's up, he's going all in.
- live true to yourself, he tries to accept himself and his flaws.
- Counter to Marky Mark, the fat man John Goodman lives safe, says $2m put it away in the bank, own a house live off the interest so you can always say "fuck off" to anyone, any time.
Fast forward to "The Birdman" - Keaton.. playing himself really, basically said "fuck off" at the height of his career after 3 big movies. FF years later, he's a washup, nearly broke and feels like a sellout. Did he sell out by giving up the Birdman series or by doing them in the first place?
Either way, Keaton risks everything to live true to himself and get back to being something that makes him feel alive -- with his conscious telling him he shouldn't have given up on the easy life of The Birdman. Ed Norton only feels alive when he's on stage, and can only get a boner on stage as a result. Marky Mark can't bear to teach to average writers and knows himself to be just average and can't deal with it even though it was the easy path in life. He finds an escape in gambling to feel alive.
Both characters have such easy paths in life.. but they give it up. Its like Branford Marselus who had easy money on the Tonight Show in '92 but gave it up likely for the same reasons. Its interesting.. I feel some similarity. I'm sure bankers and traders I know making $1m+ a year feel it more, but even I feel it... maybe I make a few bucks more than I could doing something more inspirational, but it still hits me at times that I could be doing something ... more significant ?
Or screw it take the money and go on vacation more!!
Life is short. If I only had two lives to life ...
Birdman w/ Michael Keaton and The Gambler with Marky Mark Walberg.
Is it The Birdman, like The Batman? Well both had similar themes and aging out of prime actors..
What I got out of the Gambler's mentality is
- if you aren't brilliant at something don't bother. The world has enough mediocre (writers).
- you are what you are. He's a gambler even when he's up, he's going all in.
- live true to yourself, he tries to accept himself and his flaws.
- Counter to Marky Mark, the fat man John Goodman lives safe, says $2m put it away in the bank, own a house live off the interest so you can always say "fuck off" to anyone, any time.
Fast forward to "The Birdman" - Keaton.. playing himself really, basically said "fuck off" at the height of his career after 3 big movies. FF years later, he's a washup, nearly broke and feels like a sellout. Did he sell out by giving up the Birdman series or by doing them in the first place?
Either way, Keaton risks everything to live true to himself and get back to being something that makes him feel alive -- with his conscious telling him he shouldn't have given up on the easy life of The Birdman. Ed Norton only feels alive when he's on stage, and can only get a boner on stage as a result. Marky Mark can't bear to teach to average writers and knows himself to be just average and can't deal with it even though it was the easy path in life. He finds an escape in gambling to feel alive.
Both characters have such easy paths in life.. but they give it up. Its like Branford Marselus who had easy money on the Tonight Show in '92 but gave it up likely for the same reasons. Its interesting.. I feel some similarity. I'm sure bankers and traders I know making $1m+ a year feel it more, but even I feel it... maybe I make a few bucks more than I could doing something more inspirational, but it still hits me at times that I could be doing something ... more significant ?
Or screw it take the money and go on vacation more!!
Life is short. If I only had two lives to life ...
