The journey to Barbie has been a bumpy one. Originally starring Amy Schumer, it wasn’t until the eventual dream duo in Margot Robbie and Greta Gerwig came together to start the film from scratch and bring Barbieland to life that people started getting excited. Whether it be the fact that half of Hollywood joined Barbie or that first look from Cinemacon, Barbie fever swept the nation… and I don’t think anyone’s ever been happier to have a fever. Barbie is an empowering and boisterous picture of emotions that tackles so much in its nearly two-hour runtime.
Best Selling Performances
Let’s cut to the chase. Margot Robbie is incredible in Barbie. She impeccably depicts a stereotypical Barbie with a bubbly, yet emotional performance— brought to life with incredible costumes, supported by stunning makeup and hair work. Robbie brings so many levels to this character, as she makes her way to the real world and learns just how crass and misogynistic society really is— pulling off those pink-tinted glasses and seeing the world in black-and-white for the first time.
Barbie deals with the ideas of ageing, finding your purpose in the world, and that learning to truly live requires you to be uncomfortable. Being human is being uncomfortable, and being put into positions in which you’re gonna find yourself lost and unable to see the light at the end of a tunnel. Robbie’s range is perfect; she hits all the beats. This is undoubtedly one of her best performances.
We absolutely have to talk about Ryan Gosling, who gives one of his most unique and hilarious performances to date as Ken, who may have one of the craziest character arcs I’ve ever seen in a film. To say the choice the film sends Ken down is insane would be an understatement, and without Gosling, I don’t know if this would’ve worked. What seems like a primarily comedic performance quickly blooms into a commentary on toxic masculinity and the unsustainable and toxic methods of men that make themselves fit into an outdated mould designed by society.
It’s America Ferrera that shatters the glass ceiling of the Kendom and acts as the heart of the film’s story, acting as the fuel to burn down the Mojo Dojo Casa House. Her performance is just the shocker that I didn’t see coming, after feeling primarily absent from the film’s marketing, her role is so integral and so important, and she gives such a powerful, from-the-heart monologue that felt as if she was just dropping a pile of bricks that’s been laid upon her back for decades.
Existential Dread Now Included
Diving deeper into the film itself and spinning out of Barbie’s situation, it’s important to note that this film is truly for everyone. While it is inherently a feminist-fueled commentary on the cruel truths of being a woman in the modern world, Barbie is able to speak to the experiences of everyone. Barbie felt like a walk through childhood, and the slow yet freight train that is growing up. Barbieland acts as the perfect world, feeling reminiscent of your childhood, when the worst thing that could happen to you would be falling and scraping your knee, or dropping your ice cream on the ground.
Being a Barbie, or even a Ken, at first is a blissful existence, unaware of what’s to come in the future and not being prepared for the trials and tribulations of being an adult, and being expected to drop your childlike wonder like a stuffed animal that was once attached to your hip. Walking into the real world and experiencing all of these new thoughts, feelings, and the worst of it all, anxiety.
This period of transition can feel so dark, so devoid of purpose that you wonder what is even the point? We all end up six feet under anyways. Since the inception of the toy, Barbie has acted as the goal to strive towards. Barbie spreads the positive message that a woman can do anything a man can do, but I think Barbie can represent that for everyone.
Bright Barbie World
The hair and makeup department must’ve had rent due because everyone looks incredible in ‘Barbie’. Margot Robbie looks absolutely stunning in every single scene she is in, with the countless wardrobe changes that felt like she had a new outfit every scene. Every single one of the Barbies looks impeccable, even the Kens and the human characters! if this movie doesn’t get Oscar nominations for Hair and Make-Up and Costuming then something is very very wrong with the academy.
A Barbie Land theme park has to be on the minds of someone at Warner Bros they’d make fistfuls of cash because the production design on this film brings the world of Barbie to life so perfectly. Everything looks like it was ripped out of its packaging as if someone had built the toys in a life-size scale, which is actually what they did. It’s so silly and absurd, but it just sells the dedication to bringing this longstanding IP to life, some real effort was put into something that a lot of films today would CGI into the background.
‘Barbie’ – Final Thoughts
Barbie is everything we could’ve hoped and dreamed for, it’s got style, it’s got glam, it’s got a film full of heart and an empowering and lovely message behind it. Anchored by an incredible cast led by Robbie, Gosling, and Ferrera, if this movie doesn’t become an instant classic then I think we can just about call it a wrap on this society. Greta Gerwig should direct my life the way she turned this movie around.
Barbie is now in movie theaters worldwide. Check out the trailer below:
The Review
'Barbie'
Barbie is everything we could've hoped and dreamed for, it's got style, it's got glam, it's got a film full of heart and an empowering and lovely message behind it. Anchored by an incredible cast led by Robbie, Gosling, and Ferrera, if this movie doesn't become an instant classic then I think we can just about call it a wrap on this society. Greta Gerwig should direct my life the way she turned this movie around.