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Writer's pictureAlex Murray (Director)

Film Review: Barbie



By the time you’re reading this review, you will have seen just how much of an effect Barbie has had on the film industry. Greta Gerwig, a female filmmaker with little to no blockbuster experience decided to take the popular toy Barbie and give it a cinematic story. A lot of people were expecting a love story, or something for the kids to enjoy, but instead, we have been treated to a film with a lot of deep themes of patriarchy, relationships, identity and the importance of Barbie as a symbol and not just as an aimless toy for kids to play with - it does acknowledge this in the film as well. That doesn’t mean Barbie is a serious film, this is a film that equally balances emotional episodes with light-hearted and musical fun. The overall result is a film which is both an explosion of pink, and a really funny, quirky odyssey into one of the most iconic toys in the world.

Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling play the key versions, stereotypical versions as the film states, of Barbie and Ken. They are not a couple! Barbie lives in Barbieland with countless other versions of herself and the Ken’s are left to swoon over their Barbie counterparts and tend to their needs. This is a matriarchy and the film proves that the world can be peaceful with women in charge, but unfortunately, the neglect that Ken gets is turned upside down when they both venture into the real world and Ken discovers patriarchy. This wholesome and hilarious departure from their world and into ours is where the heart of the film is and we learn a lot about humanity thanks to these characters. The story has a lot of deep meanings, and the film is extremely meta as the characters in the real world know of Barbieland and the company that created Barbie, Mattel, are involved in capturing her and returning her to where she belongs.

Ryan Gosling has a lot of charm and shows off a lot of naivety and innocence as a dumb but impressionable version of Ken. Margot Robbie equally shows off her naivety and innocence as Barbie, despite what the film states in one key moment. This is a film that instead perfectly cast Margot Robbie in the role of Barbie. Robbie understands that the film is light-hearted and yet displays a lot of emotion, from love to sadness, when appropriate. The other cast members are having a lot of fun in their roles too with Will Ferrell as the head of Mattel, Helen Mirren as the narrator and the abundance of other Ken’s and Barbie’s being played by the likes of Simu Lui, Ncuti Gatwa, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Emma Mackey, Kate McKinnon, Alexandra Shipp and many more. The cast is so stacked and yet everyone gives everyone else enough time to shine in their respective roles. There is no ego, no overshadowing, it’s instead a collaboration of talent.

Filmmaker Greta Gerwig utilises a lot of pink, a lot of sets and a lot of choreography to craft a film that both feels both modern and classic in terms of how it was all put together. This mixture of effects gives the film a timeless appeal, and I can safely say this film will not be forgotten and will still be talked about in years to come. It is very rare for a film of this scale to feel this joyous and emotional and also have a story that doesn’t have any important objects or key villains, instead the story goes into some uncharted territory where the characters question their existence and their role in the larger scheme of things. Barbie evokes fun, and a lot of people may not be used to this amount of fun and silliness and that is fine, the film has something more to say and you just have to listen and watch to understand what this film truly is about.


★★★★★

5/5


Final Verdict:


Every so often a film like Barbie comes along that has a lot to say about it, despite it being based on a toy. There are many tongue-in-cheek remarks and references to the history of Barbie, and thanks to Ryan Gosling and Margot Robbie the characters of Ken and Barbie are given a new lease of life. Yes, there is a lot of pink, and it is silly, but that balances with the comedy, the musical elements and the deep messages to bring a one-of-a-kind film. Barbie is the film we need and the film we deserve right now.


Thanks for reading today’s blog!

Alex Murray, the Head of Eyesight Productions

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