A One Mann’s Movies review of “Bird” (2024) (From the 2024 London Film Festival).
Andrea Arnold managed to devestate me with her remarkable 2022 documentary “Cow“. And I’m familiar with some of her TV work including “Big Little Lies”. But other than that, I’m not terribly familiar with her movie work. “Bird” comes as a blast of fresh air then and a real surprise as it’s not the sort of story that I would typically enjoy.
Bob the Movie Man Rating:
“Bird” Plot Summary:
Bailey (Nykiya Adams) lives with her brother Hunter (Jason Buda) and her father Bug (Barry Keoghan) in a graffiti covered high rise squat in Gravesend in Kent. Bug announces his marriage to his girlfriend Kayleigh (Frankie Box) but Bailey wants nothing to do with it. While sleeping in a nearby meadow she meets a strange man called Bird (Franz Rogowski) who is also in search of family.
Certification:
UK: 15; US: R. (From the BBFC web site: “Very strong language, strong threat, violence, domestic abuse”)
Talent:
Starring: Nykiya Adams, Franz Rogowski, Barry Keoghan, Jason Buda, Jasmine Jobson, Frankie Box, James Nelson-Joyce.
Directed by: Andrea Arnold.
Written by: Andrea Arnold
Running Time: 1h 59m.
“Bird” Summary:
Positives:
- Vibrant characters.
- Nykiya Adams is just terrific as Bailey in her debut film.
- A delicate blend of gritty realism and fantasy elements.
Negatives:
- There’s a lot of jerky handheld camera work, which I’ve not a great fan of.
Review of “Bird”:
Inner city vibes.
I must admit that I don’t naturally relate to the sort of inner-city-squat type of dramas. It’s a world I can’t relate to. But “Bird” manages to present a set of alien characters in a vibrant and relatable way.
- Bug has Barry Keoghan unleashed, further demonstrating aspects of his acting capabilities. He is a loud, sweary, tattoo-covered, drug-taking, drug-dealing ‘lout’, dangerously racing around the streets on his motorised scooter. But he’s also a parent who is trying to keep his kids on the right track and has a softer side that is quite charming. He also has a dance scene in this, as practice for his wedding, but thankfully he has a few more clothes on than he did in “Saltburn“!
- Kayleigh (Frankie Box), who Bailey immediately dismisses (“I bet she likes Harry Styles”), has nothing but goodwill for the oddball family and shows great kindness and compassion to Bailey when she has a personal crisis (her first ever period) and comes to Kayleigh for help.
- Hunter (Jason Buda) is obviously going to be trouble as he runs with a local gang who seem to major in vigilante actions… “doing the things that the fuzz won’t do”. But again, he has an emotional side. He is just looking for love and stability (his 14-year old girlfriend lives on the posh side of town), even if he has to try to escape to Scotland to get it. (Bug: “Scotland? You know it’s f***ing cold up there?”. Hunter: “Why d’ya think I’m wearing three hoodies”!)
- And then there’s Bailey (Nykiya Adams) who is young but always trying to punch above her age to get included in the schemes of her older brother. “I’m 12 and I’m not even a virgin” she states, with Hunter mocking her as being a “f***ing liar”. Bailey’s interest in the seabirds soaring over head bely her wish to escape her current life whereas the focus on the trapped flies and butterflies in her window more accurately reflect her reality. But she is a kind soul and when she meets Bird she feels an affinity to the strange man and wants to help him. The feeling seems mutual: Bird habitually sits on the very top of the high-rise opposite, almost standing guard over Bailey as she sleeps. Bailey is clearly a budding film-maker, always capturing interesting footage from interesting angles on her iPhone. (You wonder how much of Andrea Arnold is expressed through Bailey… although Arnold wouldn’t have had iPhones when she was 12… she is actually only 6 weeks younger than I am!)
Lots of funny lines and incidents.
I really wasn’t expecting to laugh at this one, but it does have some great laugh-out-loud gags. A running gag is a ‘drug-toad’ that Bug has acquired that he expects to make money from. It is supposed to sweat hallucinogenic drugs, but only does that when it has the right music played to it. They try “a shit song like ‘Murder on the Dance Floor'” but they ultimately find that it likes “Dad music”… and then Bug finds he quite likes it too… “I must be getting old” he says!
But among the lighthearted stuff, there is some real drama too particularly around a really nasty piece of work called Skate (actually brilliantly played by a very menacing James Nelson-Joyce) who has moved in with Bailey’s mum, her three small children and their dog Dave. (Another tough LFF movie for dogs and cats… but stick with this one.)
Great acting, great direction
Given that this is a debut performance from Nykiya Adams, she does a terrific job as Bailey. In fact all the cast are uniformly great, down to the kids who play Bailey’s brother and sisters (not listed yet on IMDB). Franz Rogowski is an excellent casting choice for the strange and mysterious Bird.
The direction is excellent with lots of interesting shot decisions and a perfect pace to the film that never lets you get bored or even think of looking at your watch. The mystical elements of the film, although bearing some similarities with 2014’s “Birdman” are really nicely handled and one specific scene near the end of the film, an embrace, actually made me well up with emotion. Job done.
Arnold’s regular cinematographer Robbie Ryan is behind the camera and although I’m not a great fan of extremely jerky camera work (while following the scooters or running along) I can’t deny that it added to the dynamic and sense of realism of the film.
Summary Thoughts on “Bird”
This is a film that really came out of the screen and surprised me, in a good way. Despite seeing the hard lives of these grafters on the very margins of society, the love they have for their families, however dysfunctional, shines through, giving the film a strange feelgood vibe despite everything.
It is well worth a watch when it hits the cinema screens. And you don’t have long to wait. Bird is due for release in UK cinemas on November 8th.
Where to Watch it (Powered by Justwatch)
Trailer for “Bird”:
The trailer is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2y0iJkT97Jc.
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