Fish Tank director Andrea Arnold adds a touch of magical realism to her latest film, starring Barry Keoghan and Nykiya Adams. Here’s our Bird review:
Andrea Arnold is one of the most vibrant voices of British cinema. She first burst onto the scene in the early 2000s with her Oscar-winning short Wasp and second feature Fish Tank before moving to Hollywood with American Honey and HBO’s Big Little Lies. The director’s latest feature, Bird, somewhat brings her back to her roots.
Nykiya Adams plays Bailey, a lively 12 year-old whose sense of adventure is only matched by her kindness. Bailey’s father Bug (Barry Keoghan) surprises her with an announcement that he’s set to marry his girlfriend in a matter of days. Bug and his bride insist that Bailey wear a dress and acts as a bridesmaid – something she’s less than thrilled about.
Feeling angry and lost, Bailey encounters a stranger named Bird (Franz Rogowski), who’s looking for his own family. Bailey, although wary, decides to help Bird on his search.
Nothing could have prepared me for how much Arnold leans on magical realism rather than her usual grounded drama. Bird shares a lot of DNA with Wasp as well as Fish Tank, which were both about young girls finding their way in the world. Even if Arnold’s new approach doesn’t always come together, it gives Bird an exciting edge. It feels like we’re watching something unexpected and unique.
The talent in front and behind the camera is impressive. Shot with a keen eye for details, cinematographer Robbie Ryan keeps the camera close to the characters, moving with them organically. Editor Joe Bini finds a fine balance between the chaos of Bailey’s life and the calmness she experiences in nature, taking photos and videos on her iPhone.
Keoghan is an intense presence. Bug threatens to steal the film’s thunder; his latest attempt to make money involves a frog that produces a hallucinogenic slime when happy, prompting Bug to play it Coldplay songs. Rogowski brings an ethereal quality to Bird, whom we’re never quite sure of. Is he a threat? A friend, foe? Is he even real? Both characters feel odd and at times off-putting in a film that otherwise strives for authenticity.
But Bird is all about Adams. She carries the film on her shoulders and brings an enormously engaging quality to Bailey. Her character, and Bird as a whole, reminded me of Benh Zeitlin’s seminal 2012 film Beasts Of Southern Wild and Quvenzhané Wallis’ Hushpuppy. Both characters feel almost urgently real without ever becoming stereotypes.
The explosive relationship between Bug and Bailey could have been explored further, but there’s a wonderful tenderness with which Ryan and Arnold film the scenes at Bailey’s mother’s house. There’s also a nice sequence where Bailey gets her first period and Bug’s girlfriend gives her some tampons and something for her cramps. It’s small moments like these that shine the brightest in a sometimes uneven film.
Bird is in UK cinemas 8th November.
