It's been a long time coming. In a cinema landscape hellbent on turning every piece of IP into a gold rush they can mine for even more money, it's a wonder that it has taken Barbie - a fashion doll created by Mattel in the late 1950s - over six decades to make her live-action debut on the big screen. It's not through lack of trying, with the Barbie movie gestating in development purgatory since the 2000s, unable to get her high-heeled feet off the ground. It has taken indie-film darling, writer-director Greta Gerwig to bring the pink, pastels and plastic to the screen, with Margot Robbie as the doll who is everything.
Barbie's life in Barbieland is perfect, in all its colourfully-sequinned, perfectly-choreographed, girl-powered glory, But when increasingly frequent existential thoughts come to her mind, Barbie travels with a besotted Ken (Ryan Gosling) to the real world, only to discover the joys and pitfalls of living among humans and how each world influences the other. Issa Rae, Alexandra Shipp, Kate McKinnon, Emma Mackey, Hari Nef and Sharon Rooney star alongside Robbie as iterations of Barbie; Simu Liu, Kingsley Ben-Adir and Nauti Gatwa bring Ken to life in conjunction with Gosling; while America Ferrera, Michael Cera, Ariana Greenblatt, Rhea Perlman and Will Ferrell star as those caught in the crossover between Barbieland and the Real World. Barbie's script is penned by Gerwig and Noah Baumbach.
What is Barbie? Is she a friend of women worldwide who accompany them during the most formative years of their life? Is she a symbol of the unrealistic standards expected of every woman? Is she just a piece of plastic? Those questions only begin to scratch the surface of Greta Gerwig's Barbie, an incredibly smart blockbuster every bit as pink, frothy and entertaining as anticipated - but far more thoughtful, contemplative and subversive than most would have ever expected.
A filmmaker of immeasurable talent, Gerwig's involvement in independent filmmaking (both in front of and behind the camera) may not have immediately positioned her as the director of such a recognisable IP; but her indie sensibilities are recalibrated for a mainstream template with superb results, refusing to let the machinery of a big-budgeted blockbuster dull her uniquely incredible vision. From Barbie's blow-out dance sequences in all their camp glory to a montage triggered by a reference to Michelangelo's 'Creation of Adam' that will melt the sturdiest of hearts, Barbie is impeccably directed by Greta Gerwig, and further proof that she is unquestionably one of our greatest voices in filmmaking.
Gerwig and Baumbach's Barbie screenplay is an excellent example of combining a fun, easy-to-follow narrative with deeper themes and messages that elevate it considerably. A road-trip movie, a comedy and a musical all in one, imbued with the coming-of-age and self-worth elements Gerwig has long thrived with exploring, its socially-conscious yet widely-accessible messages of gender, femininity, autonomy and humanity have cut through into the mainstream in a way few films manage to do nowadays. It's consistently amusing if not always hilarious, and scratches at some interesting gender theories - if it is unable to delve as richly into these themes as those of us more inclined to the more independent work she is associated with, credit must still be given to Gerwig for at least tackling it in this four-quadrant capacity.
Barbie's narrative itself is more of a means-to-end, enabling Gerwig and Baumbach to explore the big ideas swirling around, which are delivered so thoughtfully that it rarely detracts from the more straightforward plotting. Strongly spirited to withstand obvious studio and executive pressure, Gerwig manages to cheekily poke fun at Mattel but never at the expense of Barbie and everything she has come to symbolise for the people who matter, and it shows - she punches up but never down, the number one rule of satire. Truthfully, Gerwig's refusal to ever conform is inspiring and her resistance to altering her vision only reinforces the key messages within the film.
Barbie is a collaborative effort, and every art department and behind-the-scenes individual is working with the strength and unity of such a clear directorial vision. It is a wonder that costume designer Ann Roth managed to find time to make such a wonderful cameo appearance in the film, as if she wasn't busy enough crafting such exquisitely exciting and eye-catching garments, each tailored to the individual Barbie and bringing such distinct personality to the dolls who share a name. Likewise, the set design is masterful, rendered with the most detailed flourishes imaginable, with every decoration and set piece clearly considered and boldly captivating, an extraordinary showcase for an already well-established aesthetic. The Mark Ronson-produced soundtrack is a perfect amalgamation of sounds and tones perfectly suited to Barbieland, with stand-out tracks from Dua Lipa, Charli XCX, Lizzo and Billie Eilish.
Filling the roles of Barbie and Ken must have been an impossibly difficult task but they struck gold with their two principal performances. Margot Robbie, of course, looks every inch the part but the depth she brings to Barbie is remarkable. A multi-faceted creation, she's wonderful as the perfect Barbie, oozing with fun and charm, but the emotion that comes with her existential crisis is executed with such precision, while never losing the warmth and sincerity at the character's core. So much of the plot is about the requirement of Barbie to be everything to everyone, with Robbie conveying this with such complexity that its brilliance may be overlooked in the liveliness of the surrounding picture.
While Robbie has the emotion nailed down, Gosling lets loose and delivers one of the strongest comedy performances of his career. He is downright hilarious, relinquishing himself to the role of Ken and unafraid to make a fool of himself, embracing the ability to go-for-broke and dial it up to the high heavens. It is so refreshing to see a male performance that views the "supporting" mantle as a privilege, and with it comes to freedom to give one of the most rewarding performances of his impressive career. Robbie and Gosling are the perfect yin-and-yang pairing, balancing the film's tonal variation fantastically.
So many of the supporting performers are delivering work likely to go unmentioned and under-appreciated, so to rush through some of the strongest; America Ferrera delivers the film's all-important monologue with such integrity; Issa Rae's authoritative energy as President Barbie is refreshing, receiving a hilarious PG-required censoring for her trouble; Kate McKinnon's wackiness is perfectly utilised as an outcast Barbie living on the fringes, making the most of her screen time; Michael Cera is genuinely hilarious as Allan, generating some of the film's biggest laughs; and Hari Nef's very appearance is as groundbreaking as it is heartening. Props to you, Greta Gerwig.
Greta Gerwig's Barbie is something of a miracle. For something made of plastic, it's a wonder that something brimming with such heart and soul could be extracted, a testament to the reverence shown by the filmmakers for the symbol Barbie has become for so many. Rippling throughout Barbie is an almost transformative, healing power, that reminds us of what it means to be human, the beauty in our connections to the women around us and, in a sense, with the child within us. It's not a perfect film by any stretch but it is a profound, breezy, gorgeously entertaining and vibrantly fun experience made with such tenderness and care. Greta Gerwig achieves the impossible with Barbie, and deserves her flowers. Now, let's go party!