Bird (2024)
I was blown away when I saw Fish Tank and this latest film by Andrea Arnold is similar setting and thematic territory with its authentic depiction of British lower class, but I was happy to see that this was simply not just more of the same. There is a very slight added element of magical realism, that is handled in a very lowkey manner to not undermine the authentic tone of everything else. In some sense it is a bit more “classic” social hardship than Fish Tank, with more emphasis on how badly our main character is treated by most people around here. At first I thought this lacked the neutral nuance that I liked so much in Fish Tank, but that turned around towards the end. In essence, this film shows what an endless cycle of too young parenthood leads to, which sounds like dreary depressive social commentary, which it is, but not in the way it is usually presented. Andrea Arnhold brings something unique to that subgenre with poetic narrative, non-judgemental approach to everyone and a glimmer of hope and optimism. Didn’t quite reach the same heights as Fish Tank but pretty damn close.
Rating: 4.5