Barbie

In a year that has seen multiple superheroes crash at the box office no one would have guessed it would take a toy adaptation in the form of Barbie and The Father of The Atomic Bomb, Oppenheimer, to restore some faith in the cinematic experience. But that is exactly where we are. And while the latter is clearly an Oscar-baiting opus the bigger surprise is just how brilliant and relevant Barbie is. Now getting its full home release it is a film that unquestionably will reward repeat viewings.

Living happily in Barbieland, Barbie (Margot Robbie) soon begins to have thoughts of death and cellulite. Desperate to figure out what is going on, she heads to the real world with Ken (Ryan Gosling) but soon discovers her perfect existence back home is not replicated in the patriarchy of reality. While Barbie starts to have an existential crisis, Ken becomes intoxicated at the notion of power. With the help of her friends and Mattel employee Gloria (America Ferrera) and Gloria’s daughter Sasha (Ariana Greenblatt) Barbie will try to restore order and maybe even figure out who she is along the way.

From the outset it should be highlighted that despite some very good marketing, Barbie is not a kids’ film. This is not a case of Pixar-like ‘a film for kids that has more than enough asides to keep adults engaged’. Barbie is a full blown essay on the current state of feminism rather than something for anyone under teenage years to really appreciate. If that makes it sound heavy-handed, rest easy, because despite some of its subject matter Barbie is easily one of the funniest films of the year.

The opening gambit is a brilliant pastiche of Kubrick’s opening to 2001: A Space Odyssey with early man replaced with young girls playing with dolls and the monolith replaced with a giant Barbie. It is a stunning opening that sets out not only the main drive of the film but also the laugh-out-loud tone in store.

For those of a certain leaning much of Barbie will be ‘too woke’ but to even begin to dismiss it as such is to, surprise, surprise, miss the point entirely. Greta Gerwig’s film is an essay by way of Mad Magazine on the current state of the world. It is a bubble-gum hewed story of empowerment that happily acknowledges that the world is far from perfect, that feminism is far from perfect but that if we were able to bring just a little more equality to the world, we might just manage to steer the ship in the right direction. This is society under the microscope without ever preaching. And that last point is essential, you never feel as if any involved are lecturing you, it’s done in a very natural, wearing its heart on its sleeve, matter of fact, comedic way.

The result is hugely enjoyable but also one that will last long beyond the current zeitgeist. This is a film that will be celebrated both now and in generations to come by the way it does away with subtext. This isn’t a nuanced look at equality but a broad, loud and hugely entertaining badge of honour.

In the title role, Robbie continues to demonstrate why she is Hollywood’s go to leading lady right now. Her perfect combination of looks, talent and, crucially here, genuine screen warmth is often what carries the film through some of its slightly darker moments. Gosling once again proves that he is one of the most versatile leading men, his Ken is a dope, and from act two onwards intentionally unlikeable but thanks to Gosling you always see his innocent desperation shining through. Ferrera and Greenblatt are often the film’s best kept secrets, their mother-daughter chemistry is charming with Ferrera bringing the heart and Greenblatt bringing the perfect embodiment of a disheartened young woman figuring things out. Special mention should also go to Gerwig for finding ways to cast as many members of Netflix’s Sex Education cast as possible.

An eye-popping visual experience that takes elements of The LEGO Movie, Toy Story and The Matrix to create something empowering, comforting and with heart fit to burst. Barbie is, as per the opening, a gigantic triumph.