Barbie Movie Review
By Luis Sanchez
Luis!
The entire world is talking about this movie, and for good reason. Greta Gerwig has directed this film and written it alongside her husband Noah Baumbach. It stars Margot Robbie as Barbie and Ryan Gosling as Ken, as they go on an adventure of self-discovery. Other notable cast members include America Ferrera, Kate McKinnon, Issa Rae, Will Ferrell and Simu Liu. The film has humor, emotion and many references to the real Barbie toys, but behind all the glitter and pink stands a story about patriarchy and feminism.
Not talking about feminism in Barbie is like not talking about fish in an aquarium. What I enjoyed the most about this movie is how it tackled and embraced its themes without hiding them. Direct and upfront, the movie makes sure we all understand where it is and where it is heading.
It begins as a comedic fantasy film, but as it unravels it becomes a serious and emotional narrative and slowly rips away from the bright lights and dancing. It takes the viewer on a rollercoaster ride where one moment we are laughing but the next the whole theater stands in silence. Barbie does a great job with its cinematic storytelling and continues to show the brilliance of Greta Gerwig.
The soundtrack in of itself deserves recognition. There are a few movies I have watched and decided to listen to the soundtrack on the ride back home, and this is one of the few. Usually a song is made by a well-known artist for a movie just for the marketing, and it struggles to truly fit into the movie at the moment that it is played. In this case, there is something about Barbie that makes the songs feel like one of the characters in the film. It embodies the emotions the viewers feel and the thoughts the characters are thinking. Typically the soundtrack takes a backseat ride in movies, but in Barbie it is riding in the passenger seat.
Every actor in this film seemed to have a lot of fun playing his/her role. Margot Robbie as Barbie is an amazing casting selection, as she effectively pushes the movie and its themes forward, both on and off the screen. Ryan Gosling as Ken was also a standout, and it is known that Greta Gerwig wrote the role of Ken for Gosling. Simu Liu and others carried their own weight and effectively made the movie as enjoyable, as it was emotional.
To end, I do want to mention that there are some jokes in this film that will go over some kids’ heads, and that is totally fine! The movie does great with appealing to an older audience through its script. Overall, Barbie sends this message to the viewers: YOU ARE ENOUGH. I rate this movie a solid 9/10 and recommend that you go watch it with all your family and friends in theaters!