Barbie Movie Review
Barbie travels to the real world on her quest and Ken somehow stows along. Upon reaching the real world, she learns that it’s not as perfect as her world. Men rule this world, for instance, a fact which Ken immediately takes a liking to, being human has its own set of problems, and girls hate the Barbie dolls. The CEO of Mattel, which makes Barbies, learns of this aberration and wants to send her back as soon as possible and close the portal between the worlds. She meets Gloria (America Ferrera), a disgruntled Mattel employee and her teenage daughter Sasha (Ariana Greenblatt) along the way. The mother-daughter duo are having issues which they put on hold to help Barbie. Meanwhile, Ken and his fellow Kens have taken over Barbieland and it seems it would quickly resemble the real world soon if action doesn’t get taken. How Barbie sets things right forms the crux of the film.
Greta Gerwig has built a reputation with films like Little Women and Lady Bird for putting in elements of woke feminism in her works and she seems to be the best choice to reinvent Barbie for the times we live in. The film is written by Gerwig and her partner Noah Baumbach and they have taken some delicious digs at patriarchy throughout the film. The duo haven’t even spared Mattel, the parent company of Barbie and one of the producers of the film. That the Mattel corporation is able to take the roasting in their stride speaks volumes of their self-assuredness that no amount of criticism – and Barbie, the toy, has had plenty of that in the past – can take away the popularity of their product.
Through the film’s satirical insights about modern society, the director asks all the right questions. But the answers it provides – Women want to have it all and look good while doing so. They want to be the best versions of themselves all the time. And men apparently have no place in their lives – don’t do justice to the questions. It’s like Gerwig doesn’t want to go beyond what’s hotly discussed in magazines, social media and self-help books. The director, in trying to be clever and cheeky – the film is a laugh riot and will keep you laughing till your jaws hurt – has neglected to actually make a case about the relevance of Barbie in the real world. Barbie herself realises that and in the end, chooses to be a human. But what happens to her after she takes that plunge – perhaps we’ll get to know that in a sequel.
Margot Robbie, as the narrator says, is too pretty to look like an ugly Barbie. She is a delight to watch as a doll who has grown up admiring one reality and has trouble adjusting to a version where all she holds true is inverted. Her coming timing is on point and you laugh at her and with her and root for her till the end. Strangely, it’s America Ferrera and not Robbie who gets to mouth the five minute monologue about what it means to be a modern woman in today’s world. Ferrera feels like a more upscale version of Amy, the character she played in Superstore and manages to steal the thunder from Robbie in a couple of scenes. Ryan Gosling is a hoot as Ken. He’s a perfect fit as the hopeless lover who mixes up patriarchy as being a mixture of running the world and loving horses and you can’t take your eyes off him as he goofily goes about finding himself. Being Ken is enough is the answer he stumbles upon – but isn’t that true for everyone?
Trailer : Barbie
Neil Soans, July 21, 2023, 12:29 PM IST
Story: Things start changing for Barbie (Margot Robbie) in Barbieland, and she must leave her perfect life to do something about it.
Review: For all practical purposes, Barbieland is pristine. Various iterations of Barbies and Kens live their beautiful lives in blissful ignorance of the real world. But when the quintessential Barbie (Margot Robbie) begins to have unusual thoughts, she is directed by another Barbie (Kate McKinnon) to enter the world of humans and address her existential crisis. However, chaos ensues when Ken (Ryan Gosling) tags along with her on this quest.
Barbie’s production, combined with its costume, art & set design, is picture-perfect, immersing us into the predominantly pastel and particularly pink Barbieland with a plethora of colourful characters. Played by an ensemble cast, some are given substantially more to do, while others are relegated to the backdrop. Even though this is by design, it does make some of these characters slightly redundant, albeit not overbearing. Margot Robbie reminds us of her incredible depth and range as the main character Barbie and is perfectly cast in the lead role. Ryan Gosling is a scene-stealer whose Ken is an unlikely brand of a jerk that draws laughs effortlessly, often at his own expense. However, the ace in the pack is America Ferrera, who is impressive, especially in one memorable monologue that perfectly captures the complex conundrum of women’s equality.
This brings us to the film’s most vital aspect – its writing. Taking a prominently feminist outlook, Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach deftly pull off the tricky tightrope act of a self-aware screenplay that hits hard on the nose while being thoroughly entertaining. Using comedy and musical numbers to charm the audience, the message is deliberately heavy-handed. Sure, there’s a looming question of whom this film is aimed at, and ‘Barbie’ is certainly not just for those who’d play with these dolls. Slathered with satire that eventually sheds off its sugar-coat, this film decisively takes the patriarchal bull by the horns. Quite the risk by toymakers Mattel, Gerwig’s style meets substance with her direction that dissolves all debate of ‘Barbie’ being a corporate cash grab as it will undoubtedly tip-toe its way to the front row of awards ceremonies.
