Bird, 2024
Written and Directed by Andrea Arnold.
Starring Nykiya Adams, Barry Keoghan, Franz Rogowski, Jason Buda, Frankie Box, Jasmine Jobson, James Nelson-Joyce, Joanne Matthews, Rhys Yates, Jason Williamson, Kirsty J. Curtis, Sarah Beth Harber, and Carlos O’Connell.
SYNOPSIS:
Bailey lives with her brother Hunter and her father Bug, who raises them alone in a squat in northern Kent. Bug doesn’t have much time to devote to them. Bailey looks for attention and adventure elsewhere.
It has been eight years since the immensely talented writer/director Andrea Arnold graced us with a narrative feature film, with Bird serving as a reminder that the filmmaker is gifted at telling raw, authentic stories about impoverished outsiders living within harsh circumstances. This entry into her filmography is no exception, starring impressive newcomer Nykiya Adams as Bailey, a precocious, inquisitive 12-year-old seemingly neglected by her father Bug (a boisterous Barry Keoghan), preparing to marry a woman (Frankie Box) he has only known for three months, while also looking to turn a sizable profit selling a rare toad. Together, they and Bailey’s older brother Hunter are squatters living within a trashed apartment complex tagged with graffiti all over the inside.
Understandably, Bailey often clashes with her father, refusing to wear a dress he has chosen to the inevitable wedding (she also comes across as tomboy-ish, which is something he doesn’t pick up on or possibly doesn’t care about.) The point is that this domestic turmoil often leaves Bailey unsupervised and adventuring the northern Kent town (which is also where Andrea Arnold grew up, no doubt partially responsible for how lived-in and natural everything feels), getting into trouble, sometimes visiting her mother (Jasmine Jobson) who is dating an abusive boyfriend, all while trying to protect her siblings and occasionally talking to Hunter and his girlfriend.
Bailey is also typically accompanied by a mysterious stranger and former town resident going by Bird (a terrific Franz Rogowski, somewhere between whimsical, quietly polite, and broken), who wants to reunite with his father. All the other sub-stories lead to answers about where Bird’s family might be. Naturally, Bailey and Bird have much in common, as this quest distracts from Bailey’s life at home.
Bird isn’t just about a poor family and neglectful parenting, though. Even though Bug initially comes across as aggressively unlikable and rude to his daughter, there are layers revealed to the character that also runs parallel to the developments of other characters, creating a complex cycle of too-young parents who are still too young to know how to raise a child properly, although still loving. The early reveal of Barry Keoghan (who is 32 in real life but often looks even younger than he actually is) as a father of a 12-year-old is jarring in itself. With moving sequences benefiting from emotionally cutting song choices, that element evolves into something more touching, with Andrea Arnold always reserving judgment and maintaining empathy for the lives these young people lead. Other films would revel in pointing out these decisions as mistakes or these families as broken, but she opts for something thorny and honest with complicated feelings from all sides.
Again, there is a fair share of trauma and abuse surrounding Bailey’s life (some of the behavior coming from her mother’s current boyfriend is beyond disturbing), learning that Bird hasn’t always had it easy, either. They confide in one another, with a sweet, touching anchor of Bird being how they look out for one another. Andrea Arnold also leverages that for some late-magical realism that is somewhat ambiguous and flimsily executed but striking, memorable, and poignant. It takes a while for all the plot threads to come into focus fully, but when it does, there is a complete, beautiful, tear-jerking portrait of lower-class life depicted with respect.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★
Robert Kojder is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association and the Critics Choice Association. He is also the Flickering Myth Reviews Editor. Check here for new reviews, follow my Twitter or Letterboxd, or email me at MetalGearSolid719@gmail.com
