A young girl on the cusp of adolescence, Bailey (Nykiya Adams) lives in a squat in England with her father Bug (Barry Keoghan). The latter is more like a slightly stupid older brother than a trusted father, more interested in his future marriage or his little schemes than in his daughter's daily life. She copes with it quite well, walking in the surrounding countryside. Until the day she meets the strange Bird (Franz Rogowski), who says he is looking for his parents. Helped by his brother Hunter (Jason Buda), Bailey will then follow this stranger on a not-so-ordinary adventure…
From social film to tale
Presented at the last Cannes Film Festival, Bird had all the makings of a social chronicle that could have strutted in miserabilism. This is not the case. Andrea Arnold draws a certain poetry from dilapidated apartments and other damaged houses. In these everyday settings, the director develops characters who are never defined by their status. of outcasts, but by their goals and their aspirations, necessarily fluctuating as adolescents can be. In her quest, Bailey (played by a non-professional actress) proves to be as much a guide for the viewer as a young girl in search of meaning in her life. Bug could have been an odious individual, he turns out to be a slightly lost dad, too young for his adult role, but truly loving his children (his actor, Barry Keoghan gives a new intense performance).
All of this makes for a story that is both sensitive and touching. Especially since Birdin its last hour, moves away from the social film to become a tale, with the introduction of a touch of fantasy. From then on, the formation of this strange group of adolescents takes on its full meaning. As if you had to get lost in order to find yourself.
Bird by Andrea Arnold, in theaters this Wednesday, January 1st. Duration: 1 hour 58 minutes.
