It’s a huge weekend at the cinema this weekend, with two films dominating the box office, as well as the headlines. One of the movies is the biographical thriller, Oppenheimer, while the other is Barbie.
If you’re a cinema-goer, or a movie fan, there’s a strong chance you’re watching one of these films over the coming days, or possibly even both. And judging by the sheer amount of people dressed in pink at my local cinema, I expect the majority out there will be watching Barbie.
Directed and co-written by Greta Gerwig, and based on Mattel’s hugely successful fashion doll of the same name, Barbie is a live-action fantasy comedy. The film stars Margot Robbie in the title role, with Ryan Gosling as Ken, and a supporting cast which includes Kate McKinnon, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Emma Mackey, Simu Liu, Ncuti Gatwa, America Ferrera, Rhea Perlman, Rob Brydon, Helen Mirren, and Will Ferrell.
In the movie, ‘stereotypical’ Barbie lives with ‘stereotypical’ Ken (as well as various other Ken and Barbies) in the pink paradise known as Barbieland. In this delightful realm, all the Barbies have important jobs (doctor, lawyer, President, etc), while all the Kens hang around at the beach having fun.
One night, during a dance party, Barbie suddenly has an existential crisis and finds herself worried about her own mortality. The next morning things get worse as she struggles to complete her usual routine and quickly discovers other things are wrong too.
After meeting with ‘Weird Barbie’ (a disfigured, social outcast), who has a vast knowledge of the world, Barbie is told the only way to cure her current problem is to leave Barbieland and travel to the real world. Here she must seek out the child who is playing with her, to discover what is causing this sudden change in her behaviour.
Heeding this advice, Barbie hops into her convertible and leaves Barbieland with Ken joining along too. A short while later the pair find themselves experiencing life outside of paradise, which radically changes the way they view their roles in life.
Pink, poppy, occasionally abstract, and often quite absurd, Barbie is a hilarious, bonkers, and genuinely enjoyable picture which is daft in all the right places, and then some. The film features a cavalcade of Barbies (and Kens), includes various references to the iconic brand, and is filled with endless gags and nonsense.
However, Barbie isn’t just a sugar coated bit of fluff, nor is it some saccharine soaked rubbish, that looks good but has no nutritional value. The film has a great deal of weight and substance behind its colourful façade, and once the film movies past all the beach balls, roller blades, and disco routines, it becomes clear there is a story in here with something to say.
Barbie might start off with a twinkle in its eye and tongue firmly placed in cheek, but it quickly sidesteps into some interesting places. The film has a great deal to say about matriarchal and patriarchal roles; there is a fully fleshed-out story for both Barbie and Ken; and there’s room for one or two nice moments too, which touch upon the importance of the iconic doll.
Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling lead the movie, and both are equally fantastic. They take roles that could easily be dismissed as throwaway characters, invest their time in the parts, and add subtle nuances along the way.
Robbie is mesmerising as Barbie, embodying a character who is smart, beautiful, and incredibly likeable. She lights up the screen throughout and brings plenty of heart, as well as heaps of charm and charisma.
As for Gosling, his turn as Ken is simply a revelation. He takes the character through a range of emotions, nails every single scene he’s given, and proves he’s more than just Barbie’s bland boyfriend.
Gosling never overshadows Robbie, but he certainly finds a way to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with her. This is an excellent onscreen pairing, with two actors demonstrating that not only do they understand the film they are making, they also understand how to complement each other.
Outside of the lead actors, Barbie is loaded with some great support from a sizeable ensemble of players who all add something fun to the film. From Simu Liu’s (alternate) Ken, through to Kate McKinnon’s ‘Weird Barbie’, and Will Ferrell’s dim CEO of Mattel, this film has great performances at every turn.
It is also lovely to see Rhea Perlman given a small but pivotal role in the picture. Perlman only appears a couple of times in Barbie, but she brings some much needed calm to the chaos.
Speaking of chaos, at times Barbie is a little chaotic, and it does delve into some truly bananas territory, but there’s never the sense that director/co-writer Greta Gerwig ever loses control. If the film goes a bit nuts, it’s because Gerwig wants it to, and it’s never too long before she pulls all of the craziness back in line to continue driving forward the central message of the film.
With an exquisite set design, some fabulous costumes, a delightful soundtrack, and a heartfelt and emotionally impactful story, Barbie is a gem. The film could have easily been dished up as some low-rent, empty-headed, soulless rubbish, but what Gerwig brings to the screen is something with meaning, integrity, and a sense of purpose.
There have been a great deal of middle-of-the-road movies this summer, but I’m delighted to say Barbie isn’t one of them. The film is as mad as a box of frogs, but it is an absolute treat.
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Thank you for taking the time to read this review on It’s A Stampede!. For more reviews, check out the recommended reads below.
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