Barbie

Barbie [2023]

Starring: Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, America Ferrera, Kate McKinnon, Will Ferrell

Direction by Greta Gerwig 

Language: English

I miss the days where I was able to happily watch film, without having to worry about impending A-levels, college applications & absolutely drowning in work. However, I have managed to find the time, over the past few days, to watch two movies.

The first of which was Barbie. When you have a movie that is THIS hotly anticipated, you make it a priority to go and watch it. In my country, it was released late, and so I watched it then. The feminist in me LOVED the movie, but my inner film critic? Not so much. 

The first half of the movie, to me, was a little boring. To illustrate my point? I was checking the time on my phone. A lot. The storyline in the first half of the movie wasn't compelling enough, at least for me, to maintain a strong interest. The outfits were great (which, by the way, stayed great throughout), and there were frequent moments of comic relief to keep the tone very upbeat. But, at times, the emphasis on comedy meant that the potential for a few of the more insightful, deeper moments to be really fleshed out was lost. 

It's strange to use Shakespeare as an example of what structure I like films to emulate, but I will. When writing a play, Shakespeare will use a sequence of rising and falling action, where a conflict arises, and is then put to rest by comic relief. For this reason, the emotions of the audience are always oscillating, guaranteeing involvement. I realise that Barbie is a movie targeted for children, and the childlike sensibility of many adults, but it just didn't spark for me. In my country, the movie is 15+, and I realised that there were several incidences where people were checking the time. 

This was contrasted pretty starkly in the second half of the movie, which I enjoyed far more. 

The whole idea of the patriarchy and the manifestation of it in Barbie world was very interesting - Gerwig set the right tone for this portion of the film. It didn't feel too deep, nor did it feel too light - very balanced, in my opinion. The pacing of this section felt a lot more even. The final thirty minutes of the movie, however, saved it. The sequence of Barbie, the creator of it, and 'What Was I Made For' struck a very strong chord. Even though I have never played with Barbies, the feeling of not understanding a purpose was very relatable. The way that Gerwig handled this message of belonging was VERY effective, and it is these scenes that I still remember vividly. 

However, it was the general message that was this movie's strongest facet. When America Ferrera's character gave an impassioned speech about the double standards expected to be met by women, I was shocked. I have always been a feminist, and a very keen one at that, but hearing the double standards spelt out so plainly and powerfully was definitely an eye opening experience. This very strong, simplistic message of female empowerment was very tactfully constructed. 

On the topic of double standards, I just loved the objective examination of what Barbie represents. There's one side, where Barbie is a utopic, idealistic example of what society should partially look like: where women are able to take up the vast majority of positions in society, whether that be as a 'stereotypical' barbie or a president barbie. However, the screenplay allowed for an exploration of the negatives: with the domination of one gender, another is overlooked. In modern society, we can see what living in a male-dominated world looks like, where women are often oppressed. And in Barbie, we can see the opposite. Therefore, this message of gender equality was something that was, in my view, quite clear to see. 

Also, I can't end this without giving a special mention to Ryan Gosling. When I first saw him with the bleached hair, I had serious doubts. He often acts in such critically acclaimed artistic movies (i.e. La La Land - a personal favourite), but he really stepped up to the mark on this. And, the blonde hair has grown on me, and much as I hate to admit it. Also, Margot Robbie was so good. Again, the transition from Harley Quinn in the Suicide Squad to this is remarkable. 

It was a good watch, one that people have waited YEARS to see. However, as good as the second half, as well as the general premise of the movie were, the detachment I felt from the first half means that watching this feels uneven. 

7/10