If you've been itching for a whismical drama that sees the enigmatic Barry Keoghan tatted up and leading a group of drug dealers to a Coldplay singalong in order to charm a literal, live-action toad, then step right up — famed British filmmaker Andrea Arnold has just the feature for you. Bird should certainly be the word this awards season, but something tells us the frenzied, utterly indie spirit behind her latest project will simply be too darn alternative for the Academy to take note. What a shame, especially since powerhouse performer Franz Rogowski (remarkable in Passages) delivers yet another scene-stealing and awards-caliber turn as the film's beloved and eponymous character.
And yes, the wondrous Irish actor Barry Keoghan also captivates in his supporting performance as a young dad of multiple kids from multiple mamas. One offspring, Bailey, is the central focus of Bird, and rising star Nykiya Adams delivers a raw, emotionally resonant performance that will leave you in a whirlwind of emotions by the end. Bird has been making the festival rounds, dating back to this year's Cannes, and is not to be missed if you want to see the best films of the year and tout yourself as a real cinephile. Arnold the auteur is here to inspire you once again, drawing on the themes of class, youth, and sexuality that defined her other great films (such as the astounding Fish Tank and the vastly underrated Wuthering Heights).
Spread the Word About Bird
Those familiar with Arnold's work might agree that her films require a bit of dedication, and that, unlike some indie filmmakers, her movies have arguably gotten more arcane. Let's not forget her last feature, American Honey, was a resounding 2 hours and 45 minutes (although, years later, this kind of duration doesn't sound all that outrageous). Both that film and now Bird also share the cinematic quality of being captured with relentlessly dizzying camerawork, purposefully done chaotically but with an artistic flair to help keep their respective tales grounded in a sort of documentary-esque way. The filmmaking styles of Paul Greengrass and Dogme 95 might come to mind.
With Bird, Arnold wastes no time thrusting us into the wildly unnerving world of Bailey and her colorful extended family. There's her young dad Bug (Keoghan), a fitting name for a character woven into a story titled Bird, which ultimately turns fantastical in ways we won't spoil here. Maybe they call him Bug because his latest drug-related business venture is capturing a live toad that's said to excrete a certain hallucinogenic fluid if you treat it right. Speaking in his native accent, Keoghan provides a plethora of chuckles across this dazzling film set in a down-and-out part of the U.K.
But the real character to watch here is Bailey as she embarks on a coming-of-age journey of discovery, often out there on her own trying to fit in with questionable crowds like the local teenage gangbangers. But hey, didn't we all once "try to be cool," even if it meant rolling with a morally corrupt group as we reluctantly embraced adolescence and then adulthood?
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Once that rough crowd doesn't exactly pan out for Bailey, she finds herself literally stumbling upon a spritely loner on the outskirts of town who calls himself Bird (Rogowski). "It's beautiful, isn't it?" he says to her after making his amicable presence known. When she asks what he's referring to, he simply replies, "The day." From there, Bailey's curiosity is spiked, and a sweet friendship ultimately blossoms in a way that involves her helping Bird track down his long-lost family.
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With a first name like "Bird," one can expect there's more to the peculiar individual than what meets the eye, and his heartfelt quest to learn more about his mysteriously lost childhood provides some insightful parallels to Bailey's own journey toward her fast-approaching maturity, navigating her own sort of lost childhood. Her family life, after all, doesn't allow her to fully experience childhood. She's quite visibly wise beyond her years — perhaps forced to be that way due to her parents' past and ongoing neglect.
12-year-old Bailey has grown up alongside her half-brother Hunter (Jason Buda) who, at a mere 14 years of age, is already soon welcoming his own baby into the world with his equally young girlfriend. They all reside within Bug's rundown development he shares with fiancée Kailey (Frankie Box), who he's planning to marry imminently, leaving Bailey more than just apprehensive since they've only been dating a mere three months. And with Bailey officially hitting puberty one morning and being handed her first-ever tampon, it's all a bit much for the tween.
Bird Has an Ending That Will Shake You Up
It all builds to a climactic third act that remains dark in nature, as is the case with much of Arnold's work, but a sense of heroism and triumph shines through as we watch Bailey find a sense of purpose in the cruel world around her. And with a generally melancholic tale like Bailey's, don't be surprised if the film's monumental ending will simultaneously break your heart and also instill hope.
The dizzying nature of Arnold's camerawork may be alienating for some, but she reliably takes some bold strokes to complete perhaps her most innovative feature to date. And hats off to Rogowski in an endearing, hopeful, and delicate turn as Bird, a grown-up child who's lost his way and whose life thematically parallels our protagonist's. Don't be surprised to see at least one Best Supporting Actor nod for the accomplished German performer this season. From Mubi, Bird will be released in select theaters on November 8, followed by a nationwide release on November 15.
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