14/46
Bailey seeks attention and adventure elsewhere
Narrative
Bailey lives with her brother Hunter and her father Bug, who is raising them alone in a squat in north Kent. Bug doesn’t have much time for them.
Barry Keoghan dropped out of Gladiator II (2024) to star in this film instead
Bird may seem like a big step forward for Andrea Arnold, as it tentatively insinuates itself into the realm of magical realism from her usual gritty and resolutely naturalistic territory. But ironically, much of what occupies the runtime is familiar territory for her.
The soundtrack, mostly modern British rock and punk, is refreshingly different
There are enjoyable elements, particularly the remarkable debut of Nykiya Adams, whose confidence is thrilling to watch. It’s gorgeous and vibrant in 16mm, assuming you can handle the absolutely mad handheld camera movements.
But Bird feels rather aimless for much of its runtime
There’s humour and often a light-hearted tone – children are sometimes lucky to be children, in between the inevitable trials of being forced to grow up too quickly. Many scenes and plots don’t lead to much in themselves, giving the feeling that they need to build towards something explosive that I don’t think happened.
It lacks imagination in its characters and plot points
Its setting is strangely fantastical and painfully real at the same time, in a way that muddles the tone. It’s seemingly authentic to the director’s experience (set firmly in her childhood neighbourhood in Kent) and this adds to the sense that Arnold is telling a very personal story that may mean a lot more to her than to the general audience.