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I had the opportunity to screen Bird at Newfest this past Wednesday at the SVA Theater, and it left an indelible mark on me-an experience that makes it easy to see why Andrea Arnold remains one of our most distinctive and fearless filmmakers. Arnold, whose works like Fish Tank and American Honey have long portrayed the fragile and bruised edges of society, delivers once again with a deeply affecting exploration of youth and its collision with the harsh realities of the adult world.

Nykiya Adams is utterly mesmerizing as Bailey, a resourceful teenager trying to make sense of the world around her while living on the fringes of Kent, England. Her performance is a revelation-filled with subtlety, grace, and the kind of honesty that feels almost documentary-like in its authenticity. Through Bailey's untainted gaze, we are confronted with a world that is both brutal and bewildering, but Arnold ensures that moments of tenderness and wonder break through the grimness. Adams has crafted a character who is not merely a victim of her circumstances but is instead a figure who finds beauty and resilience in spite of them.

Barry Keoghan plays Bailey's father, and he's as captivating as ever. His portrayal of a man entangled in shady dealings and moral ambiguity is layered with equal parts charm and menace. Keoghan's ability to oscillate between warmth and cold detachment keeps the audience on edge-he embodies a character who is meant to protect but is ultimately just as lost as the child he's trying to care for. In many ways, his character symbolizes the fractured state of authority that Bailey must navigate. Franz Rogowski also delivers a standout performance, bringing a quiet intensity to the role of an enigmatic figure who both looms over and occasionally offers glimpses of humanity amidst the bleakness.

Bird is quintessential Andrea Arnold-an immersive, visceral plunge into the lives of characters living on society's fringes. The camera work is as restless as Bailey herself, moving with a sense of urgency that pulls us directly into her experience. Arnold's use of handheld cinematography amplifies the sense of instability and danger, but there's also an intimacy in the way she frames Bailey's interactions with the world-a reminder that there's still magic to be found, even in the most unexpected places. The visual language here is striking in its ability to capture both the beauty and the decay of Bailey's world.

What truly stands out about Bird is its ability to balance two seemingly contradictory feelings: a sense of hope and the pervasive weight of despair. The film manages to capture both the haunting and the hopeful aspects of its setting with empathy and ingenuity. Arnold has always been adept at portraying complex, contradictory emotions, and Bird is no exception. The narrative is less about delivering a clear-cut plot and more about creating an emotional tapestry-a mood piece that speaks to the resilience of the human spirit. There's an almost Roger Ebert-esque appreciation for the small moments here, the sort of fleeting beauty that reminds us why we watch films in the first place.

Bird resonates because it refuses to offer easy answers. Instead, Arnold immerses us in a world that is fractured yet deeply real, a world that mirrors the uncertainties of Bailey's life and her unflagging determination to find her own place within it. There's a poeticism to the way Arnold captures her characters-not through grand speeches or melodramatic moments but through the silences, the glances, and the mundane details that add up to something profoundly human.

At the end of the day, Bird is a triumph-an evocative portrait of innocence, resilience, and the inescapable weight of the adult world. It's a film that lingers, that refuses to let you go, and that challenges you to see the beauty even in the most broken places. Andrea Arnold has given us a story that doesn't just tell-it moves, it questions, and it reverberates.

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This is an excellent coming-of-age story, reminiscent of "Wild Diamond" but, in my opinion, executed even better. We follow the life of Bailey, a 12-year-old girl living in the depleded areas of the UK. From the outset, it's clear that Bailey perceives the world differently from those around her. Nature, animals, and especially birds, symbolize freedom and lightness, a sensation that comes across vividly.

Bailey meets Bird, a character who embodies the person she aspires to become. Initially, she mocks Bird, but by the end, her ridicule transforms into admiration. Bailey faces numerous challenges, and Bird subtly guides her toward resolution. Some questions remain unanswered, but for me, the specific answers are unimportant. The journey and the growth Bailey experiences are what truly matter.

Enjoyed Bird, some very strong performances. Inclusion of the edges of the frame added a nice touch to a very honest telling of the story through naturalistic imagery. It's a very musical film and as always good choices for the soundtrack. I would say it could be tighter in the edit and feels overly whimsical at points, but the magical realism element was an interesting and unexpected development. The film felt real throughout and the details of production design helped with that intensely. Every element felt of the film felt real and honest. My only criticism is it could have been told in an hour.

But overall, a return to the much loved Andrea Arnold of old with a new twist.

Bird is a 2024 coming of age drama following Bailey, a 12 year old girl who lives in a very poor environment around Kent and spends most of her time escaping into the depths of the city and recording events on her phone that mean something to her. However, her father Bug (Barry Keoghan) expects his daughter to attend a wedding with another woman, then after Bailey runs away she comes across a mysterious man named Bird (Franz Rogowski) that then resorts to a powerful story about friendship and family all in poverty.

Of course this is a very well made film, and it didn't seem it needed much budget to do so with it's breakout performances from a new generation of actors. But this film is definitely not for everyone as the whole entirety of it's runtime does consist of exploring these types of dangerous environments and the positives surrounding it. I think it definitely did it's job to convey a thoughtful message with stand out performances that really do make a impact and I can respect it for that.

However, my personal opinion, I really dislike the characters and I mean yeah they're accurate but I literally see people like this every day and I cannot really forgive the actions most of the people do in this movie. While some scenes with them are very funny, I can't really resonate or make peace of what some of the characters do in this film, and I hated Bug's character too definitely a annoying but realistic portrayal of people and fathers like him. But the acting is very good though, my favourite character Bird doesn't really have a lot of lines, however he doesn't need to. Also I would most certainly not encourage little children to talk to and follow a random stranger, but Bird is an escapism for these kids and isn't what you think he is.

Overall, I would never watch this again, I don't think this is a film to be seen in the big screen it's more of a one to watch at home. Bird does have decent performances, humour and great scenes but I did not like most of the characters even Bailey was annoying but I think that's the point though, to show that people like them are real and actually live like this so I think that's a good message but don't watch this in the cinema, I just don't think it's that captivating to be honest and also the runtime could be adjusted as I think it carried on a tad too long, but I wouldn't recommend to be in a rush to see this one.

Grade: B

London Film Festival 20th October.

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I just went to see Bird by Andrea Arnold with my 19-year-old daughter, and we were absolutely blown away. This is one of the best films I've seen in decades-truly a masterpiece. The acting, directing, and cinematography are nothing short of extraordinary. Arnold has created a film that feels so authentic, so raw, and so alive. My daughter was completely floored by the film and said that the beat film Iv ever seen it's a real film , and I couldn't agree more.

It's refreshing to see that films like this-real films-are still being made. The talent involved in creating such a rich atmosphere is remarkable. Bird is a reminder of what cinema can be when it's done with artistry and intention. An unforgettable experience.

There are two lovely performances to enjoy in this story of the twelve year old "Bailey" (Nykiya Adams). She lives in a squat with her dad "Bug" (Barry Keoghan), brother "Hunter" (Jason Buda) and her soon-to-be stepmum "Kayleigh" (Frankie Box). It's that impending wedding, and the wearing of a pretty garish pink cat-suit, that puts her at odds with her well-meaning dad and sees her left to amuse herself amidst the fields of Kent. It's there that she encounters the rather enigmatic "Bird" (Franz Rogowski) who is looking for his parents who lived in a Gravesend tower block near her home. She decides to try and help this rather quirky chap and quickly their lives become curiously linked as we discover that her mother (Jasmine Jobson) is struggling through an abusive relationship with boyfriend "Skate" (James Nelson-Joyce) whilst also trying to bring up three youngsters. With the quest for her new friend's parents, her desire to help her mum and siblings and her dad's pressure to engage with his own hopes for happiness, the young "Bailey" hasn't her challenges to seek. Keoghan features energetically as he zips around the housing estates on his e-scooter, and his character serves well to help keep the main characterisations going - and it's on that front there's a charmingly understated chemistry developed between Adams and Rogowski that mixes their respective back-stories with a soupçon of the mystic and plenty of allegorical imagery to introduce quite elusive themes of freedom, family and quite frequently fun, too. There are also some fairly violent undertones, and we are left in no doubt that her life and that of her family has been and will remain fairly turbulent - but those points are not brought to us via a sledge-hammer, more by gentle observation and development of engaging personalities that evolve gently but potently over a couple of hours. It's a slow burn, but it works.

'Bird' has similarities to Andrea Arnold's earlier film 'Fishtank' where an alienated teen put herself in serious danger while trying to escape loneliness and domestic dysfunction. In this new work Arnold focuses on pre-teen Bailey who lives in a chaotic squat with her father and an older brother. Her dad Bug is planning to marry his kooky new girlfriend, while her troubled mother lives nearby in even more squalid conditions with a violently abusive boyfriend, a clutter of Bailey's younger siblings and a long-suffering pup called Dave. None of the adults in her universe seem capable of providing much guidance, leaving Bailey to chart her own course.

Following a row with Bug, Bailey shadows a gang of street kids engaged in some random criminality. After evading the police, sleeping in a field and being awakened by a horse, she encounters a kilted stranger called Bird. This eccentric itinerant had been born in the area, raised elsewhere and is trying to find a father he can scarcely remember. After some hesitation, Bailey decides to help him. Nykiya Adams delivers a courageous and convincing performance in the lead role as Bailey's pursuit of Bird's quest mingles with other digressions, distractions and sub-plots. Her apparently aimless wanderings eventually arrive at a revelatory moment which is depicted in an extraordinary passage where the film briefly departs from gritty realism and enters the realm of the fantastic. Somehow Arnold pulls off this trick, transforming her urban drama into an intense and memorable fable.

This film breaks conventions with its cinematography, using shaky, dynamic, and fast-paced shots. It's a stylistic choice I both loved and hated. The aspect ratio and filming format added an aesthetic that perfectly matched the film's gritty, raw tone. The plot is a montage of clips that feels nostalgic, weaving love, hate, drama, and conflict into Bailey's story.

The soundtrack, a fusion of rock, ambient, UK hip-hop, and indie, is another standout element, immersing you in the culture the film portrays. I was fascinated by the insights into Bailey's life - how she lives, the people she meets, and the culture that shapes her world. It's so removed from the experience of an average middle-class person, making it feel authentic and intimate.

At times, the narrative shifts between characters, leaving me unsure about the film's focus. Still, it's refreshing to see a story centered on flawed, raw characters. We're used to polished films with beautiful people, but Bird embraces the messy and the ugly - and finds beauty in it. The film feels deeply personal, leaving me with shared emotions and mixed feelings. While it may not resonate for everyone, its (symbolic) meaning is its true strength.

I love Andrea Arnold- her films always impact me a great deal, and although they are often harrowing and emotionally challenging, they always hold a lot of love, vulnerability and connection.

Bird definitely took me through almost every emotion on the spectrum, and this to me is what film/art does when it's at it best. Initially, I'm embarrassed to admit* that I found the delivery of violence by such young people, and the conditions in which they live both heartbreaking, and shocking.

However, the characters we are gradually introduced to, and the insight we get into the complexities of their relationships and circumstances is all encompassing, so that I found myself captivated by the story, messages, and incredible individuals whose lives we get to witness a fragment of.

I became totally invested in the lead character, and 'Bird', but also her father, siblings and mum.

Therefore, with the events that happen it's inevitable that the level of empathy and compassion I felt was overwhelming in all ways.

Their moments of joy and relief became mine. So too their hurt and confusion, fear and anger.

This is testament to both the incredible cast (mostly non or very unknown actors), Arnold's skill, and the combination of every person's contribution to the making of the film.

The soundtrack is always a big aspect of Arnold's work, and although they were slightly more familiar tracks to me than usual (her films often introduce me to musicians and artists I've never heard before, which is great!), the combined collection played as important role as the actors themselves.

I keep thinking about different moments in the film and definitely want to see it again. I'd recommend it to anyone who has enjoyed Arnold's previous work, plus those who appreciate Mike Leigh, and Ken loach. I completely understand it is not what a portion of cinema goers /film lovers want from a film. But whatever one's taste, it is still, I think, impossible not to become deeply engaged with Bird and that is it really a film most should see.

One thing I would highlight is that unlike any other of her films (I think?), Arnold does include elements of magical realism and more visual metaphors (?). I am usually not into this kind of surrealism/type of thing and still would say it didn't totally work for me personally. BUT, it did not take away from the rest of it, and I kind of 'got on board' with the slight veering off into MR so that it was affective and mostly appreciated.

My favourite moments are with Bug (played by Barry Keogh), and when he's interacting with his kids, mates and girlfriend. I laughed and cried , flinched and felt my insides glow at different points of Bird. I hope you find the warmth and love and beauty in it too. Definitely worth persistence if Initially not convinced.

* I am very fortunate in terms of my home environment and relatively low exposure to poverty and casual violence),

Bird might seem a big step for Andrea Arnold, as it creeps tentatively into the realm of magical realism from her usual gritty, firmly naturalistic territory. But ironically, much of what takes up the runtime is well-trodden ground for her.

There are enjoyable elements, particularly the standout debut from lead Nykiya Adams, whose confidence is thrilling to watch. It looks gorgeous and vibrant on 16mm, assuming you can handle the absolutely wild handheld camera moves. The soundtrack, of mostly modern British rock and punk, is refreshingly different. There is some good humour and often a light tone - the kids do get to be kids sometimes, in between the inevitable trials of being forced to grow up too fast.

But Bird feels rather aimless for most of its runtime. Many scenes and plotlines don't amount to much on their own, leading to a sense that they must be building up to something explosive that I felt didn't ultimately arrive. It lacks imagination in its characters and plot points. Its setting is strangely fantastical and painfully real at the same time, in a way that confuses the tone. Apparently, it is authentic to the director's experience (set firmly in her childhood neighbourhood in Kent) and this adds to the sense that Arnold is telling a quite personal story that may have far more meaning to her than to the general audience.

I thought this was a tremendous movie, got absolutely lost in it's layers of story telling. There's not much going on on the one hand but on the other hand, there are all sorts of little things happening that draw out a story and a set of characters who are credible and realistic.

For a piece where there is almost continually an edge of danger and violence, it manages to navigate those waters whilst moving towards a very uplifting conclusion that had me going home smiling and singing to myself (I've not really liked anything by Fontaines DC but the use of their songs might have changed that and I loathe Coldplay and Andrea Arnold even had me smiling along to that section and it's use to stimulate a toad).

The soundtrack is great and appropriate, the performances are wonderful and the camera work fits the context of the production in a quirky and imaginative way. Even the unexpected twist, as bizarre as it is, didn't jar in the way you might think. Well worth a couple of hours of your time.