With the hype machine in absolutely full swing, Barbie arrives on our screens in a blaze of vibrant pink. Writer/director Greta Gerwig with writing help from Noah Baumbach have fashioned a story and screenplay that gives surprising depth to what could have been a very one-dimensional project. It’s subversive in the nicest possible way.
With a storyline that works the angle of Barbie (Margot Robbie) becoming a sentient being who begins to question the reality of her surroundings, it opens the door for some very assertive social commentary. Ideas delivered with a sly wink via an effective monologue by America Ferrera. The fully colour-saturated look is as imbued with robust ideas as those words.
Casting Ryan Gosling as the Ken doll works well as he is unafraid to ham it up or play the fool and looks good doing both. Robbie gives the titular character just the right amount of complacency and yearning and emerges out of a frivolous mind into a confident woman. Her transition is handled with humour and message and forms the backbone of the movie.
That the idea of basing a film on the life of a plastic doll would seem so slender on the outside and results in a work with as much heart as this is a nod to all involved. Don’t let its ultra-vibrant look fool you, this is a movie with something important to say and it communicates that message with poise and charm.
Rob Hudson
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