Bird Mini-Review #TIFF2024

Hmmm.

Bird  is the first of Andrea Arnold’s films that I’ve seen, and I’m not sure it was the best introduction. As a 12 year-old first getting into film, I was dimly aware that Arnold’s 2009 film Fish Tank was receiving rave reviews (as a cinematically inclined 9 year old, I did not hear about her debut, Red Road). Fish Tank was a gritty drama about a teen living in poverty, and her relationship with her mother’s boyfriend. The film was acclaimed for Arnold’s sensitive direction, and the performance of a young Irish actor named Michael Fassbender. 

Seven years later, as a film-obsessed nineteen year old, I heard a lot about Arnold’s next feature, the road-trip drama American Honey. I haven’t been able to catch-up with either film in the years since (that’s on me), but I jumped at the chance to catch Arnold’s buzzed about new feature at this year’s TIFF.

On first glance, Bird’s premise has some similarities to Fish Tank. Bailey (newcomer Nykiya Adams) is a young girl in low-income housing, navigating her complex relationship with her young father Bug (Barry Keoghan). 

The opening scenes have a social-realist feel, but aren’t short on style either. There’s a great moment where Bailey and Bug ride an electric scooter through the streets, set to Fontaines D.C.’s Too Real. The scene begins with the characters singing along in diegesis before the song explodes onto the film’s soundtrack - one of several moments where Arnold uses bombastic sound design to externalize Bailey’s emotions. 

Is it too real for ya? The song’s lyrics repeat over and over again, and they almost feel like a dare. Indeed, the following scene, where an argument between Bailey and Bug spills over into violence, will be too intense for some viewers. Bird is just getting started in that regard, with Arnold’s attention to realism comes the frequent threat of violence in Bailey’s surroundings. Some scenes late in the film are intense to the point of frightening, and one in the climax is gratuitous to the point of audience disconnect. 

That is not the main issue with Bird however. To discuss that, I have to go into spoiler territory. I will only speak about the set-up of the film, namely an element introduced in the first thirty minutes. I didn’t know about any of this going into the movie though, and if you’d like to see Bird totally fresh, I’d stop reading here.

Anyway, the real premise of the movie is introduced when Bailey meets Bird (Passages star Franz Rogowski). Bird introduces Bailey to new ways of thinking, and the other adults in her life treat him with hostility. It may or may not surprise you to learn that Bird the character introduces magic realism elements into Bird the movie, and these elements clash with Arnold’s gritty approach to the material.

Now, full disclosure, I have a low tolerance for this kind of thing. I know a lot of people love The Fisher King, but I find that movie’s approach to poverty to be naive and condescending. Bird’s handling of the subject matter is a lot more sensitive than that, and it’s worth noting that Arnold grew up in similar circumstances to Bailey. She has actually experienced poverty, and I have not. Arnold has the right to tell her story however she wants, but these are two different stories that clash with each other. 

There are two movies in Bird; the grounded one, where Bailey attempts to navigate her relationship with Bug and her half-brother Hunter - and the second one,  a simple fable of personal metamorphosis where a magical character helps Bailey find herself. The second one is not bad, but I always wished we would get back to the first one. When the two movies collide in the climax, it’s a thoroughly awkward mix. Though the climactic scene is well-executed, it lays the movie’s tonal problem bare. Bird (the character), does not work amongst subject matter this dark. 

It’s not Rogowski’s fault, he’s a talented actor, but there’s only so much he can do. On that subject though,  the whole cast is very good. Adams is a real find, capable of carrying an entire film at only 14 years old. I’ve heard complaints about how big and loud Keoghan’s performance is, but that’s part of the point. Bug is larger than life in both Bailey and the community’s eyes. There’s a great scene where he leads an entire room of flunkies in a rendition of Coldplay’s Yellow. 

The final thing I want to say about Bird may be controversial (if anyone is reading this): 

I’m a dumb, cis, straight guy, but was I misreading the gender dysphoria angle? 

I’ll make my case: Bailey shaves her head and refuses to wear a pink dress. Hunter’s friends call her “man.” Bird’s outfits defy gender convention, and the other characters comment on this. Bailey watches a Butterfly, and then crawls into a cocoon-like sleeping bag. I was so sure this was a trans narrative, and I was really surprised when *minor spoilers* the movie ends with Bailey wearing the dress!

Just me?