Modern Master Award – Micheal Keaton – SBIFF 2015

Reviewed by Magali Vautrin. Viewed at SBIFF 2015.

 On January 31st, the Santa Barbara Film Festival was honoring Michael Keaton with a Modern Master Award. Two thousand people came to applause him for his carrier at the Arlingthon Theater.

Michael John Douglas (born September 5, 1951), better known by his stage name Michael Keaton, is an American actor, producer, director and former comedian.He left his print in the history of the cinema industry by playing in featured films such as Night Shift, Beetlejuice or Batman. After being directed by the best directors in the world like Tim Burton, Quentin Tarantino or also Steven Soderbergh, he took a break from the film industry and Hollywood in order to raise his son in peace.

Micheal Keaton played all the roles a screenwriter could possibly imagine. He played everything from the cop to the super hero, and passing by a crazy guy in Beetlejuice. He, today, plays the most difficult  role an actor can have to play : an actor in the film Birdman.

Birdman is a movie directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu and it tells us the story of a washed up actor, who once played an iconic superhero, battles his ego and attempts to recover his family, his career and himself in the days leading up to the opening of a Broadway play.

After winning several prices such as a Golden Globe or Critic’s Choice Movie Awards for best actor  in Birdman and a nomination to the Academy Awards, we can assume 2015 is the Michael Keaton Year. The Santa Barbara International Film Festival 2015 decided to honor Michael Keaton’s carrier with the Modern Master Award.

I think the ceremony was really touching and M. Keaton seems to be a very humble man. In fact, his friends , Winona Rider or also Jeff Bridges attested by video messages how much M.K deserves this price more than anyone else. Roger Durling, the director of the SBIFF, was also feeling very emotional when he offered a cap to the actor with the name of his coffee place; ” I remember when I was working in my coffee shop and Michael would come every week and we would talk about movies (…) Today I am so happy to honor him with this Award because , finally, after all those years , I honor not only a wonderful actor but a friend.”