Bird

Directed by Andrea Arnold, Bird details the gritty exploits of an impoverished adolescent (Nykiya Adams’ Bailey) and her ongoing encounters with the various folks in her life (including father Bug (Barry Keoghan) and mysterious stranger Bird (Franz Rogowski)). Filmmaker Arnold, armed with her own screenplay, initially delivers a familiar, almost paint-by-numbers kitchen-sink drama that benefits from its striking atmosphere and above-average performances – with, in terms of the latter, Adams turning in compelling, naturalistic work that generally smooths over the lackadaisical narrative’s bumps and lulls. (It’s clear, too, that Keoghan’s small but important role remains an ongoing highlight, as the actor is nothing short of electrifying here.) There’s little doubt, then, that Bird’s overall impact is dulled considerably by an often palpably overlong running time, as the movie, which tends to progress at a snail’s pace, contains long stretches in which very little of interest seems to occur – with the movie’s undercurrent of rather silly magic realism doing little to offset the pervasively erratic feel. By the time the admittedly satisfying finale rolls around, Bird has nonetheless cemented its place as a partially watchable yet undeniably tedious endeavor that rarely sets itself apart from its myriad of similarly-themed brethren.

**1/2 out of ****