Bird (2024) Dir: Andrea Arnold

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During my college film studies course, some years ago now, I studied a number of independent films from the British Social Realism genre. Two of these films were Andrea Arnold's 'Wasp' and 'Fish Tank'. It had been a while, however, since I had thought about them. That was until I watched this; Arnold's latest venture into that same genre.

The best films of the social realism persuasion are visceral and emotional viewing experiences, and this certainly dipped its toe into that profundity on more than one occasion. The handheld camerawork gave the film an observational and grounded feel, which in turn kept the drama on-screen based in realism, even with the slight fantasy elements, which allow for a very visual representation of escapism and searching for one's pack.

Something I thought very highly of was how thematically rich the film was. It delved into a lot of all-too-relevant topics, such as; change, youth, the death of innocence, blood family versus chosen family, love, escapism, friendship, and maturity. The film delves into working class culture in a poignant and convincing manner. It neither romanticises or mocks the working class people. Instead, she frames it with nuance and care - giving an honest portrayal.

This was a true slice-of-life, coming-of-age story, from the heart of modern working class Britain, and through the eyes of today's less-fortunate youths. Albeit a seemingly miserable affair, the film made sure to remind its audience that love and positivity can still be found in the mundane and modest corners of life. Some of it is a little clunky in its execution, but, for the most part, it's very well done.

I thought that Nykiya Adams' feature debut performance was phenomenal. She was extremely believable in the role; her emotions, her actions, and her dialogue delivery all felt very natural. She had a surprising amount of screen presence, which was reminiscent of a far more experienced hand. Considerable credit should be levied her way for the way she excelled in what was a very challenging and emotive role.

Franz Rogowski gave a rather peculiar performance for a rather peculiar character. I enjoyed elements of his acting quite thoroughly, but I also found the bizarre nature of his character a little too odd for my tastes. I think I hoped that the character would be a little more defined - I don't mind a strange character, but it needs to have enough to it, and this one didn't.

Barry Keoghan was, unsurprisingly, very, very good, despite having a lot less screentime than I had expected. These kind of characters; realistic and flawed individuals, are Keoghan's bread and butter - he truly excels at these roles. I'll also mention the likes of Jason Buda, Jasmine Jobson, Frankie Box, and James Nelson-Joyce, for their believable, if fairly brief, appearances.

Overall, I thought that this was a brilliantly realistic and poignant portrayal of working class life in modern times, especially for the younger generations. It wasn't perfect; the fantasy element, and the character it entailed, didn't quite work for me. However, the vast majority of the film was genuinely very good. It has some very difficult to watch scenes, but the emotional impact of these was part of what made this such an effective piece of cinema.