Birdy

5 out of 5 snowstones 'Birdy' cuts back and forth between a post-Vietnam insane asylum and pre-Vietnam Philadelphia. Masquerading as a war movie, it suggests that 'Nam turned the bird-obsessed protagonist Birdy into an isolated mute, forever a bird in his mind. But as we gradually learn from the flashbacks, his descent into madness begins long before the war. His obsession turns from daring into scientific into erotic. Parallel to this, his friend (and now Viet vet) Al tries to pull Birdy back into the real world. What is great about the movie is that it is equally about both characters, and I couldn't say whether Nicolas Cage or Matthew Modine is the better actor. Also, the theme of birds and flying makes for some amazing camerawork, giving new meaning to the term "bird's eye view".