Barbie: A classic brought back to life

I went to go see one of my most highly anticipated films of this year on opening night and I had an absolute blast. This is a film that piqued my interest when Greta Gerwig was announced as director. When I saw she was co-writing the script with Noah Baumbach I was even more interested and when I saw that Ryan Gosling was cast as Ken, I was actively excited for the release. The promo for this film and the Barbenheimmer cinematic event of the summer all added to the excitement, and I am so pleased to say that it lived up to the hype. This is a film you must see in cinemas; I had an absolute blast.

This film looks incredible. I watched Greta Gerwig’s interview with Letterboxd and her list of films that influenced the look and direction of Barbie and it is incredible to see the influence that classic cinema has on this film coupled with how effortlessly and seamlessly Greta adapts these situations. to modern cinema. She used the phrase ‘authentically artificial’ when describing some of the films that inspired this one (Wizard of Oz, Model Shop, Singing in the Rain and a more modern influence, The Truman Show) and it is a perfect description of this film. Barbieland is this incredibly bright and over the top but feels incredibly real; it all makes sense within the context of the film. The dream houses look like playsets that have been made human size, the cars feel like blown up toys, the beach set with its plastic waves and painted backdrops feel like set pieces you could find in a toy shop. Greta displays such a love for movies that is wonderfully infectious, she is keeping the tradition and passion of movie making alive and displaying it to a new generation. All those feelings and influences that she felt when making this film have been so lovingly adapted and translated to the modern audience that it would be impossible to dislike this film. I would highly recommend watching that interview and seeing all the references from classical musicals and how wonderfully Greta has translated them to this film. It makes so much sense for a Barbie film and I am so glad that she was given the creative freedom to fully execute her vision, because what she and the rest of the production team have created here is amazing.

Speaking of creative freedom, I am pleasantly surprised with how much liberty Mattel allowed with the story. This is a very self-aware and quite self-critical movie. It does not just use a well-known brand name, attached to a run of the mill script to make a rich brand even richer. It takes a mirror to the concept and impact that Barbie dolls have had on young girls throughout its existence. It acknowledges the impact it has had on the self esteem of girls and the unrealistic beauty standards it has contributed to. I think this is incredibly important to address in a film with the tone it has. This is an empowering film about the struggles of being a woman in a world dominated by men, and Barbie has contributed to that. The board members of Mattel being mostly white men more interested in making money than what the actual doll was designed for is an important thing to acknowledge and really helps develop the message of this film. Greta firmly takes the voice of Barbie and hands it back to the target audience, young girls. The arc of Barbie and how she adapts to the real world is the best possible arc this film could have done and does so with a very strong message. It effectively shows the everyday struggle of being a woman and how it is ok to find acceptance in yourself for who you are. Greta Gerwig’s knack for making coming of age films made her the perfect director for this story and she has smashed it out of the park once again.

I also really liked the arc that Ken went on in this film. From this accessory that does not feel valued in his world to the ego maniac that returns from humanity where he finally feels seen, to someone that does not know where he stands in life, but knows he needs to figure it out for himself. It is a great reflection of young men in society and how easily they can get sucked down the alt-right pipeline the second they feel heard by some manipulative loser with a ‘self-help’ programme. His was a nice to touch to really flesh out the Ken character and provide a universal message of acceptance in yourself that I was not expecting.

The performances from all the cast are amazing. From the press tour it has looked like everyone involved is having the times of their lives and it translates to the performances in the film. Everyone is perfectly cast and there is an effortless chemistry between the main Barbies and Kens. Margot Robbie is the obvious choice for Barbie, and she certainly delivers here. She has such magnetism and charisma that perfectly encapsulates the concept of Barbie. She does such a wonderful job with the character and her performance never feels one dimensional. In fact, her acting in the emotional beats is incredibly powerful, even just that scene on the park bench with the old lady was incredible. I must say though, the highlight for me is Ryan Gosling. I need this man to do more comedy because he is so funny. Every second he was on screen I was grinning and his commitment to the Kenergy bit has been a highlight of the whole press tour. He understood exactly what was needed from him here and executed it to perfection. His song and that entire battle of the Ken’s sequence is the highest form of art going, truly what cinema was invented for! A special shoutout also must go to Michael Cera as Alan. I love Michael Cera and I am so happy to see him getting some shine again. That escape attempt and fight had me in tears in the cinema. This was the role he was born to play.

A highlight of this film must be how funny it is. Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach really went to town with the jokes here, cramming as many as possible into seemingly every line of dialogue. Not only are the jokes coming fast, but they also all land and stick the landing. This is a script that leans heavily towards and adult audience despite the fact the plot revolves around a doll. The beach off scene felt like it could have come straight out of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia and the Lou Reed and Pavement references had me cackling in my seat. I have to give a special mention to the Godfather bit, I felt so seen, this really is a film for everyone! The film really leans into the self-aware nature of the plot and utilises this in the jokes. The addition of the narrator allows the film to get even more self-referential jokes in and is a great addition to the film.

I am so happy that this film is amazing, but also that it is doing well in the box office. The performance of this film and Oppenheimer shows that there is a demand for well made films, with care put into them, not just vessels to make as much money as possible. This is an excellently made film that delivered on everything that I hoped it would, whilst it does lose its way slightly in the middle, it delivers an engaging and hilarious plot with a powerful message tied into it. This was one of the most entertaining films I have seen this year and one of the best cinema-going experiences I have ever had. What a blast!