Barbie has fast become one of the most anticipated films of the year amidst a marketing campaign that some believe may be the best in film history. Actress/writer/director on the rise Greta Gerwig teams up with star Margot Robbie for a film based on the influential and culture shifting doll that has accompanied little girls through childhood for decades. Now that the film has finally arrived, what does it have to say about the doll and about us?
In the film, Stereotypical Barbie (Margot Robbie) and Ken (Ryan Gosling) live in Barbieland where they have the time of their lives hanging with the other Barbies and Kens in a colorful and idyllic world. However, Barbie soon begins feeling emotions that she has never felt before of existential dread and worry. She’s sent to see Weird Barbie (Kate McKinnon) who reveals to her that she has had her reality cross with her human owner in the real world, opening a portal between the two that can only be closed when she finds the human and helps her. Barbie then travels to Los Angeles to find her human, accompanied by Ken. But while there, Ken soon learns about the patriarchy and takes his newfound knowledge to Barbieland which puts the paradise, and Barbie, in jeopardy.
If you’re at all familiar with the filmography of Greta Gerwig, you are aware that her works delve heavily into women’s issues and feminism. The pairing of this director with the Barbie franchise and all of its history surrounding the image of women and young girls made the probable themes of the film apparent as soon as it was announced. This reviewer has written extensively about the heavy-handed and repetitive social and political messaging present in modern day cinema and how it can weigh down films. How Barbie separates itself from its cinematic predecessors, and even some of Gerwig’s own films, is how well the film’s themes and messages are integrated into its story without coming across as preachy or too obvious. Its examination of self-discovery, gender equality, and existentialism are arrived at naturally in the narrative and not something that makes viewers feel as if they’re being lectured at.
Take for instance Ken’s experience in the real world and learning that there, men are in charge and not subservient or second place to women. His historical refresher on the real world in the form of a montage at a museum not only established an important plot point, but it subtly made the point of how women see the world through role reversal. Ken is stunned to see images of all the Presidents, important legal figures, etc. being men and it shocks his worldview. By seeing this man shocked and moved by seeing people like him at the pinnacle of power, the audience is also forced to consider how seeing this lack of female presence in realtime makes women feel without presenting or saying it outright. Similarly, Barbie uses humorous situations to establish its points and messaging, such as the pivotal bit where the Barbies are deprogrammed from the patriarchy by being forced to consider questions of fairness. It’s written to make people laugh at the absurd parts, but the underlying message accompanying the comedy is clear and clever enough to not come across as a hammer the audience is being beaten over the head with. Many modern films fall into the trap of focusing on making sure the audience is directly told to think the “right” things rather than telling an engaging, entertaining story that is wittily accompanied by the message the filmmaker wishes to convey. Gerwig and her co-writer and partner Noah Baumbach nail the balance here.
Aside from its examination of women’s issues, Barbie also touches upon the universal issues of how people can lose their senses of self and the mental dilemmas that arise as a result. Stereotypical Barbie, Gloria, and Ken all deal with some form of self-doubt and confusion, stemming from different sources. Gloria is dealing with aging into a new person as a mother of a teenager and the resulting change in her relationship with her daughter, Barbie with who she is a famous doll held up as a symbol for girls that may no longer be relevant, and Ken with who he is as a second fiddle to a legend that he loves but who does not show the same consideration for him. Each character embarks upon a journey of discovery that the answers to their questions must be arrived at internally rather than blaming external sources or seeking answers from those same outside forces. The film makes a point about self acceptance and realization that melds well with its messaging on women’s issues and serves as a theme that seeks to connect to all members of its audience rather than speaking to its core female audience exclusively. It’s a nice touch that gives Barbie a wider reach.
As touched upon in the above paragraph, Barbie isn’t all about extolling the virtues of feminism and need for change however as the film is chock full of funny moments and the accompanying great comedic performances of its actors. The fish out of water scene when Stereotypical Barbie and Ken both arrive in the real world could have easily come across as something we’ve seen countless times before, but Gerwig is able to show it as charming, hilarious, and fresh while, again, gently accentuating the film’s themes. The ensemble cast is loaded with big names from Robbie and Gosling to Will Ferrell, who provides just enough of his trademark humor to give the film an extra comedic oomph to Kate McKinnon who is both funny and nostalgic as her Barbie that everyone will remember to Rhea Perlman who has a special cameo. Robbie and Gosling lead the way though with both offering showstopping performances that are both humorous and emotional and dramatic when called for. Their characters give them a chance to display their full range and if not for the Academy’s historic bias against comedic roles, Gosling would be a shoe-in for a Supporting Actor nom and Robbie for Best Actress. Indeed, the speculation on Barbie’s Oscar chances will be an interesting one because of how the film melds together substantive messaging with comedy. Will the balance between the two be enough to elevate a comedy into the Best Picture race? Will the newly expanded Academy also mean an expanded view on what makes an Oscarworthy film ala Everything Everywhere All at Once? What Greta Gerwig has accomplished in crafting a film that has wide mainstream appeal while staying true to her directorial style is no small feat. Barbie puts her talents on full display alongside all of her cast, with Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling leading the way. This is a film that sparkles and shows the world how all of its talent belongs.
Image: Warner Bros.
