Barbie

Greta has done it again and is now three for three for me. She’s slowly becoming one of my favourite people in Hollywood. Her approach to filmmaking just resonants with me, and with Barbie she has proved that her filmmaking abilities have no bounds.

It’s unbelievably impressive to have a film which is able to blend together comedy and heartfelt storytelling so seamlessly but it feels effortless the way the tone just flows in our out of comedy. It’s all down to the genius script from Gerwig and Baumbach, it’s probably the best comedy I’ve seen in a cinema. The hit ratio of jokes, the little bits of dialogue, the writing of the characters was perfect. More so for a script to be this comedic and then be able to make me cry is just so impressive. It’s this fine line the pair are able to walk which is down to their strengths in screenwriting.

It goes without saying that the film wouldn’t be as strong if it wasn’t for the unbelievable performances. Quite rightly, Ryan Gosling is getting all the praise. He gives possibly one of the best comedic performances ever, his comedic timing is so sharp, his small reactions are so funny. It’s so surprising that Ken could be an Oscar nominated performance but Gosling is incredible. Strangely, Barbie herself, Margot Robbie is not getting the live I feel like she deserves. If Gosling is used to be the comedic power of the film, she is the beating heart, without her the emotion gut punches wouldn’t be as impactful. She’s able to convey such depth in her character that really enhances her journey on being human. Standout scene for me is the bench scene, it’s possibly one of my favourite scenes in film.

I thought it was an impressive decision to maintain focus on these two main characters, but they’re surrounded by an equally powerful ensemble. Michael Cera is comedy gold, both his performance and the way the film edits him made me laugh practically whenever he’s in a scene. Issa Rae kills her small role and hope this leads to her getting more parts in films. Simu Liu is a perfect opposition to Gosling and shockingly I loved Will Farrell in this, he played his role so well and his comedic delivery is perfect. It’s the whole ensemble who made this film so funny.

I feel like the main criticism and this film has been either it’s on the nose, or it’s “not for me” usually coming from men. I vehemently disagree with both of these ideas. I think the “on the nose” idea is strange. The point of the film is a loss of innocence to the real world, so by nature it should feel like an intro to the challenges women face in the world. When returning to Barbieland after Ken has taken over, Barbie is contending with both her place in a world ruled by patriarchy and what it really means to be a human. Given these internal battles she breaks and her feelings are manifested in Ferrera’s speech, which works as a way to solidify her internal feelings. It feels “on the nose” because she’s simply plainly explaining to Barbie, and by proxy, the audience, how difficult is it to be a woman.

In this way I feel like the film services women really well but I really disagree with the rhetoric that this film isn’t for men. The whole journey of Ken is to show how men also suffer under patriarchy. There’s a symbiotic relationship between what Barbie and Ken discover and I feel like Ken’s journey is just as important. Not to mention the inclusion of Allan and how that pertains to either queer men or good men, I feel like there is as much for men to take away as women.

Such a beautiful and needed story, with the most incredible production design, and a beautiful score. It was sublime