4 stars out of 5
OK, OK, I’m not exactly the target audience for this flick. Yes, I did own and enjoy Barbie-sized G.I. Joe and Six Million Dollar Man dolls. And just today in the mail, I received a Mark Mothersbaugh action figure. But the only reason I knew I’d be seeing this movie was some text in the trailer: “from director Greta Gerwig.” As I’ve said ad nauseum on these e-pages, I am absolutely crazy about Greta Gerwig and would see basically any movie she’s involved in, even one about dollhouses and what-not.
But then there was a New Yorker article about how Barbie was the opening volley in the Marvel-Universizing of Mattel. And it made me feel kind of icky about the whole thing. Was Greta selling out to Corporate America??
Still, I’m a loyal son of a gun, and the trailer did make me laugh, so there I was at the multiplex, which was pretty crowded on a Monday afternoon, especially considering that Tuesday is cheap-ticket day. I am here to tell you: Barbie is a very good movie, and if for some reason your daughters haven’t gone to see it yet, they really should! Go with them!
Early on in the film, I wasn’t so sure. It was reminding me of The LEGO Movie, all shiny and colorful and “everything was awesome!” until the main character has to face some challenge. There were a few subversive lines that were handled like throwaways and I thought that the intended messaging might not resonate.
But I needed to trust Gerwig. Oh and co-writer Noah Baumbach of course. (Are they still happily married? What’s up with that?)
When Barbie (Margot Robbie) arrives in the real world, things really start picking up, and the movie hits its stride. Ryan Gosling is especially hilarious as neutered beach-goer Ken who discovers something called the patriarchy in Los Angeles. Also adding several laughs is Will Ferrell as the head of Mattel, one of those bumbling bad guys who you never actually dislike. (Hey, wait, Ferrell was also the villain in The LEGO Movie, hmm.) Michael Cera’s character is as random in the movie as he seemed in the trailer, and that’s worth a giggle or two.
Yet despite some really, really funny stuff, this is not merely a comedy, and the casting of America Ferrera as a mom struggling to relate with her daughter was pretty much genius. Ferrera — the non-white former Ugly Betty — can handle the wackiness but has the chops to play a real person. She ends up with the show-stopping monologue in this film, on the countless contradictions and comparisons society (from men but also from fellow women) is continually forcing on women. Everybody needs to hear this speech — in the movie and in the audience too.
During her “hero’s journey,” Barbie lets it all sink in, with Robbie skillfully going from over-the-top perfection to confused to worried to depressed until Barbie finally realizes… she has no idea what to do. Gerwig and Baumbach carefully present the very complicated genuine world of gender roles, misogyny, self-esteem, capitalism, inclusion, and much more. And they admit that, unlike in pretty much every Hollywood movie ever, there are no easy answers. The script ends up being extremely subversive by simply being honest. I got kind of mad at the cynical marketing campaign for this movie — the endless memes, wear pink to the theater, etc. etc. — which all seem totally at odds with what Gerwig is trying to achieve. But you do have to get people into the theater in order for them to hear the message… oh life is so complex.
I imagine that the Millennial women flocking to this movie — and the Gen Xers, and Baby Boomers — can enjoy the tweaking of their childhood nostalgia while vigorously agreeing that the struggle for equality is far from over. But this movie seems most important for the young set. They won’t pick up every nuance, but that’s OK, and it could lead to wonderful cross-generational discussions.
Sorry for mansplaining.
Jack Silbert, curator