Barbie is a holiday

Work on Barbie began in 2014. Over the following years, everything changed - from the concept to the authors of the project. In 2021, Greta Gerwig, perhaps the epitome of feminism in modern cinema, who directed Lady Bird and Little Women, was cast as director and screenwriter. The second screenwriter was her husband Noah Baumbach ("White Noise").

For a long time it seemed that this was a cruel joke: the director and the setting seemed incompatible. However, Gerwig made barbie stories something that no one else could.

The film starred Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, Michael Cera, Will Ferrell, America Ferrera and others.

The stereotypical Barbie lives in Barbieland surrounded by her friends and enjoys life. But one day she has the thought of death, and the very next day she breaks her leg. Another Barbie (long-spoiled) explains to the heroine that a child broke her during the game. The stereotypical Barbie decides to go to the real world to fix the problem. She is followed by Ken, who can only stand cool on the beach. In the real world, they face human cruelty, the greed of a doll company, and never-before-seen

patriarchy.

This is a very funny comedy.

The story that holds the film together is solid enough to withstand the array of emotions that come with it. At the same time, it is hardly interesting in itself, and even to the screenwriters: they are not going to explain how Barbieland works, how it is connected to the real world and why it is so easy to get into it. Such elements are simply masked absurdityand it works. And if the first 10-15 minutes are spent on the buildup, then crazy humor begins.

Barbie subtly pokes fun at the very concept of baby dolls, then switches to patriarchy, capitalism, masculinity, and human relationships as such. The range of themes and references is so large, and the density of jokes is so high that Barbie seems like an exemplary comedy.

They just showed a depressed Barbie (of course, she is rewatching Pride and Prejudice), but Ken is learning masculinity by watching videos from horses (he generally believed that the horse is a continuation of the man). Just imagine what Ryan Gosling is worth in this image!

The movie gets funnier with every scene. In spirit and absurdity, it resembles "Scott Pilgrim" - fans of this story will definitely like the picture.

The amount of big ideas and small details is incredible. Literally in every scene, an unobvious find is discovered - from an absurd joke to a sudden reference.

Simple but good drama

Despite all the humor, of which there is a lot, Barbie works brilliantly as a drama, and quite mature at that. And this leads to a stupor. It is based on a simple and understandable problem - self acceptance.

The very idea that a Barbie movie could be a drama about accepting yourself seems wild. However, Greta Gerwig takes the dolls and starts doing tricks. In her interpretations Barbie may well have cellulite, Ken has a right to tears, and children and adults are equally vulnerable.

Declaring a set of topics is not a problem, but Greta Gerwig is a genius in implementation. The tone and mood of the story allows her to switch between laughter and tears within the framework of a discussion of one issue, within one replica. In the words of her characters, naivete, self-irony and fear are mixed together, and the further she leads the characters, the more human they become. It used to be called the new sincerity.

If the story were more heavy and serious, the simple truths invested by Gerwig would look ridiculous. However, Barbie maintains a balance until the very end of the film.

There are paintings that are served with a “well, you just don’t have to take them seriously” sauce. This trick is often applied to movie comics. But Gerwig does not demand indulgence from the viewer. She made a real movie that does not require additional conditions - it's just good. And this is extremely pleasing.

Of course, throughout the film passes and feminist agenda. A woman can be anyone (even if she is a doll) - a thought that is repeated many times. People who are afraid of the "Agenda" like fire (no, "Agenda"!), While watching, will suffer - although it is unlikely that they will be brought to the "Barbie" by accident.

Great acting job

Barbie has the perfect cast. Ryan Gosling recalls that he is a brilliant comedian, combining comedy and tragedy (in the spirit of "Lars and the Fake Girl"). Like Michael Cera, who once shot with "Scott Pilgrim vs. Everyone». Margot Robbie is more direct, but always accurate.

But even against such a starry and bright background, unexpected heroes are found. For example, Kate McKinnon, who plays a broken Barbie, or Will Ferrell, who was finally given a normal script (the directors seem to be used to him having to laugh on his own). America Ferrera adds tragic comedy to the story. Quite episodic roles receive John Cena and Dua Lipa.

In the film, in principle, there are no wrong actors - this is the success of both the cast and directing.

Brilliant soundtrack

Catchy music began to work on the film during the marketing campaign. The soundtrack of Dua Lipa as a whole sounds like an armor-piercing hit. Later, the Billie Eilish track and songs performed by Ryan Gosling were added. In the film itself, they are accompanied by a whole host of classic hits. Barbie has its own sound, its own musical style - in recent years, large projects have experienced problems with this. No wonder people love Guardians of the Galaxy so much.

A whole trove of references

"Barbie" not only shows the original story, but also endlessly refers the viewer to other films. The Matrix, The Wizard of Oz,Once Upon a Time in… Hollywood”,“ 2001: A Space Odyssey ”,“ Top Gun ”,“ Zack Snyder’s Justice League ”, even“ The Godfather ”appears on the screen. Most likely, there are many more of them, but it is quite difficult to keep track of all of them.

Of course, the "witnesses of the agenda" will find in the film - oh horror! - feminism, and some Russian-speaking critics note that there is a black president in Barbieland (unbelievable, right?). So if you are afraid of women, then it is better not to go to Barbie - your palms will sweat and blood pressure will rise, and your feet will become uncomfortable in sandals.

But if you do not count the number of people of different races in films, then you will most likely like Barbie - this is a wonderful attraction that controls the emotions of the viewer without straining. The comedy/drama switch has been fine-tuned to make the saddest things funny and the jokes touching. Greta Gerwig showed that great talent allows you to use any setting to speak about important topics - now the whole world will listen to her.