Barbie
Starring: Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, America Ferrera, Will Ferrell
Directed By: Greta Gerwig
Rated: PG-13
Hey Barbies, Kens, and Allen! Occasionally a movie comes along that is so specifically aimed at me that I have to admire it. This summer that movie is Barbie. Why is the Barbie movie aimed at me? Great question. As a girl who grew up loving Barbies, the beach, rollerskates, and musicals; it’s pretty self-explanatory! But let’s count it down with the top reasons
It’s about my favorite childhood toy
It stars Ryan Gosling and Margot Robbie
Musical numbers
Ryan Gosling plays a hilarious Ken doll whose primary job is “Beach”.
Directed by Greta Gerwig
The cinematography of Barbieland makes it look like the most magical place in the world
Rollerblading
The costumes
Ok, I could end the review there. I think I’ve pretty much explained all of the reasons why I love the Barbie movie but this is a review about the movie as a whole, not just why I enjoy it.
Barbie begins in Barbieland where “all problems of feminism have been solved for the girls of the real world” or so the Barbies think. It follows stereotypical Barbie (Margot Robbie) in her perfect life as she enjoys the “best day ever” cruising around town in her perfect pink convertible, lounging at the beach with the other Barbies and Kens…oh and Allan (Michael Cera in a hilarious role). Ending the day with the best dance party ever!
Despite the perfect life in a dream world, Barbie begins to experience intrusive thoughts of death. These thoughts make her malfunction with every Barbie’s worst nightmare: flat feet and cellulite. She has to visit Weird Barbie (Kate McKinnon) who tells her she must go to the real world to make things go back to normal.
I won’t divulge too much of the plot in case you haven’t seen the movie but it’s there that Barbie meets Gloria and Sasha (America Ferrera and Ariana Greenblatt) a mother/daughter duo who have a strained relationship. Maybe Barbie can help them reconnect AND go back to being perfect in the process?
Greta Gerwig tackles a lot of ground in Barbie yet it all works together in a product that is funny, fresh, and emotional at times. The film is a satire of 1950s musicals, a hilarious look at the Barbie brand, and a love letter to mothers and daughters. I laughed out loud at various scenes of the film. Gerwig (who wrote the script with her partner Noah Baumbach) balances comedy and emotion wonderfully here. She has proven herself to be an exceptional director with every film she takes on.
Margot Robbie is perfectly cast as Barbie! She portrays the iconic doll with an exuberant joy that’s infectious. Watching her feels like being taken back to the childlike innocence of playing with Barbies. As the film progresses to the real world, Robbie captures the many fears and complex emotions that come along with being a woman. Gone is the picture perfect world of Barbie. A new, layered world has arrived. It’s a testament to her acting ability that she’s able to pull off the silly Barbie moments with such a fun energy and turn around to capture the emotional complexity of the real world as well. This is a layered performance that fans of Barbie will appreciate.
Ryan Gosling is incredible as Ken. For all of the people who were mad he was cast, why did you doubt him? How could you doubt the man that has never turned in a bad performance in his life? He’s just Ken and that’s kenough for me. This is one of the most hilarious performances I’ve seen all year. If you are a true Gosling fan, you know he has the range to do comedy (The Nice Guys, The Big Short, the SNL skits about Papyrus and Woke jeans have proved his talents.) His impeccable turn as Ken is further proof that Ryan Gosling is the best Ryan. No further elaboration needed.
Ken is enamored with Barbie and hangs on her every word. When he doesn’t get her attention, he acts out like a little boy with an adamant emphasis on the patriarchy, horses and Matchbox 20. (In Ken’s defense, I went to a Matchbox 20 concert this summer and they do rock.) Gosling has the perfect timing with Ken’s lines to get laughs at the right moments. The “I’m just Ken” and “campfire” scenes are particular standout moments.
While Ken is a standout, the portrayal of Kens and Barbies have brought about a much larger conversation since the release of the film. Gerwig and Baumbach’s script imagines a utopian world where women are in power and men are their supporters. It’s ridiculous that people have been offended by such a notion considering Barbie has always been a female-centric toy and Ken has been a background character in her story.
That being said, Barbie balances a female driven story in a lovely way. All of the Barbies support each other and have their own aspirations and goals from President Barbie (Issa Rae) to Writer Barbie (Alexandra Shipp) to Physicist Barbie (Emma Mackie) and I can’t forget Weird Barbie (a memorable Kate McKinnon.) Barbieland is a magical place that feels straight out of a child’s vivid imagination.
Gerwig manages to turn this into a coming-of-age film for both Barbie and the audience. As Barbie step into the real world, it signals the end of childlike naiveté and ushers in the awkwardness of adolescence. Barbie sees the world is not a perfect place and she’s unsure how to navigate it. That’s all part of growing up.
Barbie is a fabulous film filled with humor, heart, and genuine emotion. Don’t miss out on seeing the iconic toy brought to life with dazzling visuals and wonderful performances!
My Rating: 9/10