British filmmaker Andrea Arnold specializes in capturing souls, human and otherwise, in soulless environments. But in her latest, “Bird,” the introduction of surrealism has the ironic effect of breaking the spell that has marked Arnold’s best films, writes AP Film Writer Jake Coyle in his review. “Bird," like the writer-director’s vivid previous work, is a movie only she could make. Yet a resolutely realistic filmmaker turning to magical realism has the uncomfortable effect of making the whole movie feel inauthentic. Performances by Barry Keoghan, as a father, and Franz Rogowski, as a mysterious bird-like figure, prove an awkward fit in the coming-of-age tale of a 12-year-old in working-class Kent.
