Birdy (1984)

Once I've got the Peter Gabriel's "Birdy" album on the CD. It was so good and I enjoy it.

Today I have seen the Birdy movie itself. And now I don't know what to say, what even could I say...

This is the most impressive motion picture I ever seen! Believe me - if you didn't see the Birdy, you MUST do that! And you won't forget it till end of your life!

Fmovies: Alan Parker is a British film-maker that was capable of the worst (the boring "the commitments", the insipid "evita" as well as the best (the sordid "angel heart", the vibrating "Pink floyd: The Wall". This one, "Birdy" will surely rank among his best movies. He revives a myth, a desire that always shone in men: flying but not with a plane or an helicopter, just like Icare with real wings. This is what haunts a teenager's mind whose name is Birdy. This one devotes all his free time by inventing stratagems or ways so as to be able to fly in the sky. he also has an interest in birds' social life with their habits (it's not a fate that his name is Birdy because there's the word "bird" in it). Even if he didn't win his best friend's adherence concerning these odd likings, they succeeded in striking up a strong relationship. Above all, "birdy" is this: a story of a friendship between two teenagers brought up in a Philadelphia' popular area. They're sharing jobs, free time, girls before they were parted by the Vietnam war. Parker films this relationship with its joys, its sorrows in a hearty way and make the two actors friendly. "Birdy" is also a well-regulated movie where Parker knows how to sustain the interest in the past sequences as well as present sequences (Birdy's room hospital). Furthermore, there's not a sequence where one of the two main actors is stealing to the other, the spotlight. But the movie seems easy when it denounces the atrocities of war and its disastrous consequences on young people (Cage's long monologue with Modine in his arms towards the end of the movie). These sorrowful consequences are concrete (Cage's face full of bandages) and abstract (Modine has become dumb and stays immures in his silence). Nevertheless, emotion prevails in the end and you sympathize to the two teenagers' helpless after the war. A beautiful movie and the revelation of two great actors

I have only one thing to add about this movie, which I just watched for the first time. It has the MOST PERFECT ending of any movie ever! Those who say detracting things about the ending must not get it, must not have been paying attention! The director has been building up, so expertly, an incredible sense of tension whether or not Birdy's old neighborhood buddy will be able to reach his shattered mind. In the last split second, we find out. The abruptness is not a "gag"; it sums up the tale perfectly. Jeesh! Just think about it, would ya?...

What a great, realistic, thoughtful, touching flick! AND WHAT A GREAT ENDING!

Birdy fmovies. I can't believe I took so long to get round to seeing this AMAZING FILM!

It captivated me from the start, beautifully filmed, powerful, sensitive, funny - Incredibly acted by Modine and Cage!

I would like to thank the reviewer that warned about the animal cruelty in 1 scene - I 'think' it was just after the stray dog scene, but I fast forwarded it a littler bit, so didn't seeing anything upsetting.

This film is a must see for any avid movie lover, and yes the ended was AWESOME!

10 out 10, and i'm going on to Amazon to buy a copy.

Enjoy!

Many critics rated this as one of the most overlooked films of the mid-eighties. The film has moments of deep seriousness blended with killer humour. The interplay of an extrovert and an introvert - the different ways that they think and react to situations - is often hilarious. The film can also be regarded as an intriguing psychological study, as Cage tries every technique his fast-paced mind can think of to snap his introverted friend out of his acute mental state - a condition caused by witnessing the horrors of warfare. It is extremely interesting to see what works in the end. Modine's physically-challenging performance is top-notch. Contains a great Peter Gabriel soundtrack as well. Although not to everyone's taste, I, for one, liked the "gag" ending. (10 out of 10)

"Birdy"is an outstanding character study with a well-written script that was directed by a very talented director (Alan Parker of "Pink Floyd The Wall", "Midnight Express", "Mississippi Burning", and "Angel Heart"). Matthew Modine and Nicolas Cage both gave unforgettable performances in this dark, disturbing yet somehow uplifting story of two friends from South Philadelphia, Al (Cage) and Birdy (Modine in the performance that easily could be one of the best ever given by any actor on screen and sadly has been overlooked for too long). Birdy is an innocent and odd young man who has been always fascinated by birds and wanted to learn to fly. Both friends had to take a traumatic tour of duty in Vietnam that affected them tremendously – both physically and mentally. The film is not about Vietnam, though – it is a brilliant story of friendship and how far Al would go for his friend. The film has one of the most original and surprising endings ever.