Cindy Prascik's Review of Barbie

 

My dear reader(s): Yesterday I finally had an opportunity to catch up with the year's most talked-about movie, Barbie.

Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know from the trailers.

Barbie suffers a crisis and must brave a world outside Barbieland if she hopes to resolve it.

At this point, it feels like poor form to dislike Barbie. Fortunately, I liked it well enough, even if if I'm more "enheimer" than "Barb" in the Barbenheimer sweepstakes.

Pluses start with the divine Margot Robbie as Barbie and Ryan Gosling as Ken. Despite its many other attributes, I believe the movie would have fallen flat had they not leaned into their roles with such gusto. Vibrant costumes and sets team with upbeat music to sell a perfect world...even when it isn't. There's plenty of nostalgia for those of us who loved our Barbies, and some funny (if mean-spirited) digs at other pop culture icons who have fallen into...if not exactly disfavor, at least a perceived lack of coolness.

Barbie is a great deal more than a film about a doll. It's cleverly written and well acted, with an important message about autonomy and empowerment. Heavy-handed delivery of its message is the picture's only real flaw, but it's a pervasive one that kept me from loving Barbie as much as everyone else seemed to. I don't believe beating people over the head with a point faciliates real change; it only makes them tired of hearing about it, and by the end of this I was pretty tired of the word "patriarchy." Still, Barbie is a solid movie that's greatly enhanced by sparkling performances and a sensible runtime.

Barbie clocks in at 114 minutes and is rated PG13 for "suggestive references and brief language."

Barbie is a good movie made great by stellar lead performances, and any shortcomings are easily forgiven once the Indigo Girls start singing. Of a possible nine Weasleys, Barbie gets eight.

Fangirl Points: Kingsley Ben-Adir!

Barbie is now streaming on Max.

Until next time...

MOVIE REVIEW: BARBIE

 

Barbie and Ken are having the time of their lives in the colorful and seemingly perfect world of Barbie Land. However, when they get a chance to go to the real world, they soon discover the joys and perils of living among humans.

Director: Greta Gerwig

Cast: Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, America Ferrera, Simu Liu, Kate McKinnon, Issa Rae, Rhea Perlman, Will Ferrell

Release Date: July 21, 2023

Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy, Romance

Rated Rated PG-13 for suggestive references and brief language

Runtime: 1h 54m

Greta Gerwig's Barbie is a pastel painted surreal, meta comedy that's sharply written and perfectly cast.  Gerwig makes its clear early on that the film and story isn't going to be a simple bit of Mattel marketing with a rather wry opening that spoofs Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey.  Once the story starts in earnest and we are introduced to the colorfully constructed Barbieland utopia there’s a clear undercurrent of the kind of subversive storytelling, there's plenty that will go over younger kids heads, at play.  There are bits and piece that echo moments from Toy Story and The Lego movie, especially early on, but once the film finds its footing it reveals its own distinctive voice.  It’s a fanciful journey of self actualization as the film covers a bevy of themes from the nature of womanhood, gender roles, conformity and more along the way.  If this sounds like a lot for a film about a doll, it is but it’s a rather audacious swing from the filmmaker and the brand to go for something more substantial and meaningful than just a bit of brand cross promotion.  There's a lot to appreciate about what's going on behind the scenes in addition to what's onscreen.  Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling in the central roles are pitch perfect with both delivering fun performances from start to finish.  Robbie fills the titular role with general ease which shouldn't come as much of a surprise, but she does give the character a thoughtful earnestness that's endearing and makes the character easy to like.  Gosling is a real surprise though not because he's a stretch as Ken but because he shows off some real comedic chops throughout.  He proves to be a scene stealer for the majority of the film especially in the back half of the story.  The film's real secret weapon though is America Ferrera who gets a wonderfully rousing monologue which is effectively pointed and meaningful.  It’s got the kind of refreshing edge you wouldn't expect from a film about Barbie but that's what elevates the whole production to unexpected heights. 

B+

MOVIE REVIEW: LADY BIRD

An outspoken teen must navigate a loving but turbulent relationship with her strong-willed mother over the course of an eventful and poignant senior year of high school.

Director: Greta Gerwig

Cast: Saoirse Ronan, Laurie Metcalf, Tracy Letts, Lucas Hedges, Timothée Chalamet, Beanie Feldstein

Release Date: Nov 3, 2017

Genres: Comedy, Drama

Rated R for language, sexual content, brief graphic nudity and teen partying

Runtime: 1h 34min

Review:

Lady Bird is the kind of indie gem that pops up from time to that perfectly nails the coming of age story.  Coming of age stories are a dime a dozen but Greta Gerwig’s film captures the flawed humanism of that makes these characters feel thoroughly authentic. She directs an efficient film that never feels rushed even though it’s just over an hour and a half long.  At its center is Saoirse Ronan who’s perfectly loveable as the titular Lady Bird.  Her performance is subtle yet totally convincing.  Laurie Metcalf’s turn as Lady Bird’s mother is just as impressive.  Her ability to juggle the many facets of her character, from the passive aggressiveness, loving and perpetually frayed, seamlessly is impressive to watch.  Tracy Letts is a solid counterpoint to Metcalf’s character as the loving but depressed father.    There’s very little to dislike about this charming tome even if the story plays out exactly as you’d expect with little to no surprises.  It’s a testament to the talent at work that’s it still manages to engage the way it does.

A-

MOVIE REVIEW: JACKIE

In the immediate aftermath of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, his wife Jacqueline Kennedy (Natalie Portman) deals with her immense grief while making plans for his funeral procession. Confiding in her close friend and secretary Nancy Tuckerman (Greta Gerwig), as well as her brother-in-law Robert Kennedy (Peter Sarsgaard), Jackie tries to care for her young family as a bereaved nation watches on. Pablo Larrain directed this nonlinear biopic. ~ Daniel Gelb, Rovi

 Director: Pablo Larrain 

Cast: Natalie Portman, Peter Sarsgaard, Greta Gerwig, Billy Crudup, Beth Grant.

Release Date: Dec 02, 2016

Rated for R some Language and Brief Strong Violence

Runtime: 1 hr. 39 min.

Genres: Documentary

Review:

Pablo Larrain’s fascinating biopic about Jackie Kennedy is an incredibly power piece of filmmaking.  It’s a disorienting movie that takes you through the throws of grief on a personal level.  Natalie Portman is pitch perfect as the titular first lady.  It’s a deeply layered performance throughout.  Portman is able to go through so many psychological levels with impressive ease.  It’s a multilayered performance covers everything from grief, public persona and legacy building all rolled into one.  Larrain’s film isn’t your typical biopic in that it’s also concerned with myth making and how history can be created or skewed.  It’s a dense bit of story telling filled with excellent performances all around.

A