Jojo is a lively 10-year-old who lives at home with his father. Jojo doesn't have the typical life, his mother, a musician, is away on tour leaving him alone with his father, a volatile man who has trouble keeping his emotions in check. Jojo's one bit of solace comes an abandoned baby bird he finds one day on his way to water polo practice. Boudewijn Koole's Little Bird is a powerful piece of filmmaking about grief and a young minds inability to comprehend tragedy. This is a film that is entirely shown from young Jojo's point-of-view, perfectly capturing the world from the viewpoint of such a young child. Little Bird is a well-crafted film that features beautiful imagery aiding in creating a meditative feel which showcases this boys mixed emotions. The loneliness, isolation and anger which this young boy feels throughout the film is felt and comprehended, even if he himself doesn't understand the pure weight of the situation around him. The way the film deals with the father is masterful, almost always appearing on the edge of the frame with very few instances where the viewer can even see his face. He is often shown out of focus, with the camera locked in on young Jojo, which effectively captures the young boys point of view. In fact, the only times in which the father is presented in a clear and succinct shot involves scenes with a third person, beautifully illustrating the neglect which young Jojo feels from his father. About two thirds into the film, there is a massive reveal which perfectly explains much of both Jojo and his father's strained relationship. Jojo is a boy who is feels all alone because of his father's inability to deal with his own demons, with Jojo's one bit of solace coming from the friendship he forms with this bird. By the end of the film we come to realize that the bird is really a symbolic representation of Jojo's love for his mother, with his inability to communicate and find solace with his father being the catalyst. Little Bird is an emotional experience that perfectly captures how a tragic situation can be perceived by a young mind. 8.75/10
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AuthorLove of all things cinema brought me here. Archives
June 2023
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