Directed By Greta Gerwig; Written By Greta Gerwig & Noah Baumbach; Starring Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, America Ferrera, Kate McKinnon, Michael Cera, Ariana Greenblatt, Issa Rae, Rhea Perlman, Helen Mirren, and Will Ferrell.
Based on Mattel’s long-running series of fashion dolls, this movie follows Barbie (Margot Robbie) as she suffers a crisis that leads her to question her world and her existence. Thus, she goes on a journey of self-discovery with Ken (Ryan Gosling). For those wondering, I was not one of those people who saw this the same day as Oppenheimer (which was released the same weekend). I could've, but I wanted to catch up with both of them on separate trips to the movie theater instead. My review of Oppenheimer is already up on the site here. As for my thoughts on Barbie...
For a multi-million dollar studio produced movie based on a toyline, Greta Gerwig successfully manages to bring her own unique spin to the proceedings. The script she co-wrote with (her real-life partner) Noah Baumbach is very meta. As director, she got both the scope and tone right. Barbieland itself looks so visually vibrant thanks to Sarah Greenwood’s imaginative sets and Jacqueline Durran’s colorful costumes. Tonally, everything feels very appropriately exaggerated and it works. Although when Barbie and Ken enter into the real world, it’s so much fun watching them clash with real human beings. Plus, the whole film moves at such a great pace thanks to editor Nick Houy.
Margot Robbie as Barbie should be a textbook example of perfect casting. She not only looks the part, she’s also very funny and heartbreaking throughout. Ryan Gosling makes for a charming Ken, who happens to have quite an unpredictable character arc. He not only plays up his comedic strengths as an actor, but he also gets some fun musical numbers at one point. If you’re one of those people who didn’t care for Gosling’s singing in La La Land, he fares much better here. Other highlights of the supporting cast include America Ferrera as a Mattel employee who helps Barbie in the real world, Kate McKinnon as Weird Barbie, Michael Cera as Ken’s best friend, Allan, and Will Ferrell as the CEO of Mattel. I’d also like to put in a good word for Helen Mirren, who I thought was elegant as the voiceover narrator.
As a straight man, I found Barbie to be both a ton of fun and very heartfelt. Greta Gerwig continuing to climb the ladder from Lady Bird to Little Women to this is impressive. So far, she’s never made the same movie twice. Most of all, every single one of her solo directorial outings are much better than they have every right to. Her future as a filmmaker is looking very promising. Now, I’m even more intrigued that she’s attached to Netflix’s upcoming adaptations of The Chronicles of Narnia.
Rating: 4/5
Based on Mattel’s long-running series of fashion dolls, this movie follows Barbie (Margot Robbie) as she suffers a crisis that leads her to question her world and her existence. Thus, she goes on a journey of self-discovery with Ken (Ryan Gosling). For those wondering, I was not one of those people who saw this the same day as Oppenheimer (which was released the same weekend). I could've, but I wanted to catch up with both of them on separate trips to the movie theater instead. My review of Oppenheimer is already up on the site here. As for my thoughts on Barbie...
For a multi-million dollar studio produced movie based on a toyline, Greta Gerwig successfully manages to bring her own unique spin to the proceedings. The script she co-wrote with (her real-life partner) Noah Baumbach is very meta. As director, she got both the scope and tone right. Barbieland itself looks so visually vibrant thanks to Sarah Greenwood’s imaginative sets and Jacqueline Durran’s colorful costumes. Tonally, everything feels very appropriately exaggerated and it works. Although when Barbie and Ken enter into the real world, it’s so much fun watching them clash with real human beings. Plus, the whole film moves at such a great pace thanks to editor Nick Houy.
Margot Robbie as Barbie should be a textbook example of perfect casting. She not only looks the part, she’s also very funny and heartbreaking throughout. Ryan Gosling makes for a charming Ken, who happens to have quite an unpredictable character arc. He not only plays up his comedic strengths as an actor, but he also gets some fun musical numbers at one point. If you’re one of those people who didn’t care for Gosling’s singing in La La Land, he fares much better here. Other highlights of the supporting cast include America Ferrera as a Mattel employee who helps Barbie in the real world, Kate McKinnon as Weird Barbie, Michael Cera as Ken’s best friend, Allan, and Will Ferrell as the CEO of Mattel. I’d also like to put in a good word for Helen Mirren, who I thought was elegant as the voiceover narrator.
As a straight man, I found Barbie to be both a ton of fun and very heartfelt. Greta Gerwig continuing to climb the ladder from Lady Bird to Little Women to this is impressive. So far, she’s never made the same movie twice. Most of all, every single one of her solo directorial outings are much better than they have every right to. Her future as a filmmaker is looking very promising. Now, I’m even more intrigued that she’s attached to Netflix’s upcoming adaptations of The Chronicles of Narnia.
Rating: 4/5