Writer/Director: Greta Gerwig
Starring: Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, America Ferrera
‘Captivating Comedy’
Few toys whose lives in plastic are fantastic are as iconic as Barbie. Following 1960’s creation, we have fond recollections of a doll impacting lives of little women. Everyone recalls a bright time when they fell in love at first sight with dolls on a lovely night. A feminist hero, Barbie reminds us of our mothers that followed dreams somewhere over the rainbow. From a personal point-of-view, dolls affected my mother’s worldviews. My mother often told me the tale of how dolls allowed her to escape the real world in detail. A Barbie girl living in a Barbie world, dolls shaped her identity. Before becoming my mother, she was a kid going on a space odyssey to the store to buy dolls she came to adore. Fond of a legally blonde icon, she adored a doll with whom she formed a lifelong bond. She was hopelessly devoted to dolls that had hair filled with grease. Mean girls didn’t prevent her from playing with dolls in her routine. However, I was puzzled why dolls left my mother enchanted. Being a boy, I never understood a toy giving my mother joy. Regardless of her impact, I was clueless why Barbie was timeless. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t set prejudice aside to find why dolls gave my mother pride. I couldn’t explain why dolls left girls singing in the rain. Still, I bonded with my mother. She passed on lifelong her love for toys. Years later, Barbie reminds me of my mother. The doll born once upon a time in Hollywood is a relic of my mother’s childhood. Given her role in children’s toy story, it’s surprising Barbie is seldom seen in movies.
Now, Greta Gerwig commemorates legendary toys giving my mother joy in “Barbie”. An awe-inspiring, empowering and thought-provoking comedy, it commemorates an inspirational icon that motivated women. Gerwig celebrates legendary dolls. Boasting awe-inspiring production-design, soul-stirring storytelling and phenomenal performances, it’s an awe-inspiring achievement. Although “Barbie” is Ken-ergetic, it isn’t flawless. It’s pacing manufactured of plastic isn’t commonly fantastic. Nevertheless, it provides heartwarming entertainment for Barbie fans.
“Barbie” follows world-famous dolls produced of plastic experiencing journeys demonstrating catastrophic. Margot Robbie personifies Barbie, a plastic doll facing a crisis. Barbie’s dreams come true when she escapes to the real world. Alongside companion Ken (Ryan Gosling), Barbie searches for owners. However, Barbie’s hopes diminish after discovering her owner is a mother. Questioning what she was made for in ways catastrophic, Barbie discovers lives of plastic dolls aren’t always fantastic.
Greta Gerwig is fascinated with mothers. Her debut “Lady Bird” investigated teenagers battling controlling mothers. With “Barbie”, however, Gerwig crafts satires. It’s Gerwig’s attempt reimagining feminist icons, but she succeeds. Using captivating cinematography, Gerwig captures a doll’s journey. Evoking “Little Women”, Gerwig captures Barbie impact through montages. One appreciates montages in the “What Was I Made For?” scene. During this heartbreaking montage, Barbie witnesses images of women she impacted. It brought back memories of my mother’s stories concerning playing with a doll that influenced her identities. Montages are tricky. The Wachowski’s “The Matrix” suggested montages elevate science-fiction. Tina Fey’s “Mean Girls” demonstrated, montages elevate comedies. Nevertheless, it works. Alongside cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto, Gerwig commemorates Barbie. Gerwig celebrates toys, manufacturing theatrical viewing.
If dolls don’t attract attention, however, there’s reasons to see “Barbie”. Gerwig manufactures musical sequences using magical realism. For instance, magical realism elevates the “I’m Just Ken” scene. During this sequence, Ken questions life of blonde fragility. One acknowledges choreography recalling Damien Chazelle’s “La La Land”. Like Sebastian’s waltz on a lovely night, Ken explores Barbieland. By focusing on Ken, Gerwig challenges misconceptions of toys misunderstood by men. It made me appreciate dolls I thought targeted women exclusively. Magical realism is complicated. As Stanley Donen’s “Singin’ in the Rain” demonstrated, song-and-dance elevates musicals. Kevin Lima’s “Enchanted” suggested song-and-dance sequences elevate fairytales. Nevertheless, it succeeds. Furthermore, costumes captivate. Celebrating Amy Heckerling’s “Clueless”, Jacqueline Durran’s costumes commemorates clueless icons. Through production-design, Gerwig celebrates Barbie.
Another extraordinary “Barbie” aspect is storytelling. Gerwig’s screenwriting strength is capturing dolls’ impact on mothers through symbolism. Barbie movies infrequently address her effects on mothers’ success. As case-in-point: John Lasseter’s “Toy Story 3” depicted Barbie forming a toy story without adversity. Fortunately, however, “Barbie” avoids pitfalls. Evoking Victor Fleming’s “The Wizard of Oz”, Gerwig employs symbolism showcasing Barbie’s impact on mothers. Recalling the rainbow giving Dorothy hope to escape a tornado, dolls inspire Gloria’s reality. Throughout the movie, Barbie becomes symbolic of Gloria’s mother-daughter relationship. Gloria’s conflicted relationship with her daughter brought back memories of my mother whose Barbie obsessions I rarely appreciated. Symbolism is complicated. Barbie is targeted towards an audience without patience for symbolism that’s complicated. Stanley Kubrick’s “2001: A Space Odyssey” suggested symbolism enhances science-fiction. As Peter Weir’s “The Truman Show” demonstrated, symbolism enhances comedies. Nevertheless, it succeeds. Through soul-stirring storytelling, Gerwig commemorates dolls.
One appreciates astonishing performances.
Margot Robbie delivers a career-defining performance as Barbie. Robbie accomplished acknowledgements playing housewives in Martin Scorsese’s “The Wolf of Wall Street”. With “Barbie”, however, Robbie embodies her most multidimensional character. Portraying dolls is challenging, but Robbie succeeds. Emulating Kiera Knightley in Joe Wright’s “Pride and Prejudice’, Robbie crafts a strong heroine taking pride rather than prejudice in her identity. Through extraordinary expressions, she demonstrates anxieties, desperation and resentments of dolls. It’s a phenomenal performance.
Ryan Gosling is remarkable as a male doll refusing experiencing the real world where he’s destined to fail. In a layered role, Gosling pours his soul into a doll facing an emotional toll. It showcases the actor’s wide-ranging talents for performing, singing and dancing. Emulating John Travolta in Randal Kleiser’s “Grease”, Gosling embodies a hero hopelessly devoted towards girls with grease. As Ken, Gosling demonstrates masculinity by voice. Whether performing ear-splitting melodies or silently flirting with Barbie, he demonstrates dolls’ emotions through voice-pitch. It’s an Oscar-worthy performance.
Finally, “Barbie” deserves appreciation for celebration of a wonderful women’s icon. Celebrating Patty Jenkins’ “Wonder Woman”, it honors wonderful women. It discusses heartwarming themes including depression, identity and motherhood. Despite depicting women’s dollhouses, it’s message touches everyone. Therefore, “Barbie” provides dolls everyone will adore.
Despite empathetic messages, however, “Barbie” can’t entirely honor dolls whose lives in plastic are fantastic. Gerwig’s decisions to incorporate subplots about Mattel corporation are commendable but hinder pacing. Sequences highlighting Mattel are less entertaining than Barbie’s journey. As Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” demonstrated, entrepreneurship subplots elevate period pieces. Whereas subplots enhanced Robert Luketic’s “Legally Blonde”, they conflict with the movie’s fantastical tone. At worst, it comes across as problematic product placement. Consequently, “Barbie” falters.
Nevertheless, fans of the icon doll will certainly enjoy “Barbie” and so will audiences seeking melodramatic entertainment. A Ken-ergetic comedy, it celebrates the long-lasting legacy of a doll participating in every child’s toy story. Nearly 60 years after the introductions of an iconic doll whose life in plastic is commonly fantastic, it’s an acknowledgement of a heroic toy wondering who she was made for misunderstood by men in a way that’s unquestionably problematic.
Like precious books published by little women, it’s a lovely reminder of the long-lasting impact a doll has had on children by reminding them of mothers that provide affection.
Despite inspiring L.A. artists on a lovely night, it’s a sad reminder how a toy is viewed in a negative light by boys that lack insight about why girls fell in love with dolls at first sight.
If movies can change perceptions of dolls made somewhere over the rainbow, hopefully it leads boys to appreciate a doll inspiring their mothers to follow dreams on yellow brick roads years ago.
As joyful as Barbie’s journeys to discover the real world’s danger, it has given me newfound respect for an icon in popular culture living life of blonde fragility reminding me of my unbreakable relationship with my mom who I will forever treasure.
4.5/5 stars
The Film Buff 