BIRD
Starring: Nykiya Adams, Franz Rogowski, Barry Keoghan, and James Nelson-Joyce
Director: Andrea Arnold
NICK
The circumstances and events surrounding Bailey's (Nykiya Adams) upbringing is far from your typical coming-of-age story. In spite of that, something about Bird feels typical, and my investment levels were diminished because of the story’s focus on too many threads. Also, not that there are any issues with the cast, per se, but the film takes a big upturn whenever Barry Keoghan is on screen. He brings a magnetism unlike anyone else in the film, and more of his character (and the father/daughter story) would have been welcome. Still a worthwhile watch, but with a more deliberate focus, things could have been much improved.
QUENTIN
Bird is the type of meandering coming-of-age movie that is more focused on eliciting heavy emotion and sensitive realism than delivering an A-to-B story. Movies like Aftersun come to mind, which just aren’t really my cup of tea. On top of that, hopeful messages of “everything is going to be okay” and “no one’s no one” don’t really resonate with this cynic. So, double whammy for me. That said, I recognize the film’s beauty, as well as the strong performances, but predict that others, particularly women, are likely to be more moved by this picture than I was.
KATIE
Andrea Arnold’s Bird feels typical of the director, but it also explores an ambitious visual style and injects a glimmer of magical realism into the otherwise gritty tale. Like Fishtank, Arnold casts a first-time actor in the leading role while following a young, working-class girl from difficult circumstances. Nykiya Adams is amazing as Bailey, and her heartbreaking innocence shines through her tough exterior. The innovative use of iPhone footage deepens our connection to her, and furthers Arnold’s unique ability to make the characters in her films feel so real. The fairytale quality feels true to Bailey’s journey, which finishes on a mercifully uplifting note.
PAIGE
Although writer/director Andrea Arnold succeeds in getting her actors to provide genuine and authentic performances, the overall plot of Bird is a little muddled, particularly at its most crucial points. It's a simplistic story of a young girl trying to pick up the pieces of her broken home and maturing too quickly, but it tries to balance too many themes at once. By the end, most of them are lost in the shuffle because of the film's meandering pacing. Despite the fact that Bird didn’t quite work for me, it is at least an honest and raw fable.
This film was reviewed by Quentin, Nick, and Katie as part of Bitesize Breakdown's coverage of the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, 2024 Toronto International Film Festival, and 2024 BFI London Film Festival respectively.