Movie Man Darian Watching All Night Long

Barbie 

This film was such a fun and emotional film all at once! Now when this film was first announced I was very intrigued as you have the filmmakers Greta Gerwig who is the creative voice behind films like Little Woman and Lady Bird then you throw in Noah Baumbach the man behind one of the most emotionally gutting films of 2019 Marriage Story. So yes you can say I was listening when I heard those two were working together on a live action take on Barbie. This film could of gone so wrong very easily but due to the human nature of Greta’s vision and the great writing by Noah Barbie The film packs a bunch full of emotion, humour and so much heart Barbie is a blast to be had from start to finish.

Firstly, This film again I cannot stress enough how big of a creative risk it was for Noah and Greta to embark on as their two very strong filmmakers that specialize in character driven stories and so having them onboard was something anyone who is into film like me wanted to see what the result was going to be. As it fell on the same day as Oppenheimer and the fact you were going to have a film by Nolan and Gerwig come out on the same day was such a exciting and cool moment in the world of cinema to be part of. Now for the narrative of Barbie I was curious how Greta and Noah was going to do in terms of tackling someone as  popular as this female toy line that’s been around for ages. It very much deals with heavy topics which I was not in the slightest surprised as both Noah and Gerwig are known for doing that in their films as Barbie deals with thematic tones of death, self discovery, masculinity all of which was perfectly presented onscreen in this big bombastic colourful world of Barbie and they pulled it off in what I think is one of the best written films of the year. Right when the film kicks off it starts with a homage to 2001 a space Odyssey which by any other filmmaker would seem ridiculous and so cheap but because of how well stoucertred the writing is you buy into it and it works for this film for a truly interesting opening for this picture. They are able to do a great exposition for the audience through a visually striking opening sequence that is a few minutes long without it being boring and or way to long and then goes right into the flashy world of Barbieland. The entire look of this film is freaking remarkable you can tell Greta Gerwig did her homework in order to do justice to what Barbie is and the whole atmosphere of that doll as the moment you see the world she lives in its. Visual treat for the eyes. The amount of pink was intoxicating and in the best way the production design was on another level and the dedication to the bit was inspiring. As their is no water in Barbieland so when Margot Robbie has a shower she’s pretending she is using water or when she’s drinking something she’s acting as if liquid is coming out and it works for this kind of film and due to them knowing they have to approach it in a very colourful and serious way makes the fantasy world of barbie work. Because if Greta and Noah didn’t fully commit to their vision of barbie it would feel fake and not like a real place but due to their hard work yes through the writing but also the visual storytelling It works on both levels as one of the biggest stand outs of the film everyone can agree on was how amazing the production was done for this film down to the costumes and hairstyling. i also knew a lot of people were going to get political about Barbie which is wild to me but I knew it would spark conversation due to the themes in the film which is fine if you have a film that can get any reaction from an audience you must of done something right. As Barbie represents self identity crisis mode for her personal journey and Ken represents masculinity and mens mental health and so Greta and Noah very much have their fingers on the pulse of the current situation of the human condition which I found genius that they used both of those heavy themes to have the two individual characters go on their own journeys to find themselves in what results in very emotionally effective results. Sure their is humour but theirs also great amounts of dramatic weight that balances that comedy and when the comedy is flowing it is explosively funny and even veers into campy in the best way due to both filmmakers being self aware. Its ability at taking centre stage  at how men sometimes don’t know how to  find what it means to be a man and they come up with their own idea of what masculinity is in a very toxic world of what that word means was so interesting to see unfold. Then you have Barbie having a whole crisis on dealing with what its like to not be the perfect Barbie and trying to find herself and wanting to know its okay to not be perfect both are done in a way that isn’t preachy but its very much present throughout the film. The film radiates with positivity and inspiring imagery and messages but also is empowering both for woman and men it is a commentary on so much about society while giving a fun filled Barbie film and staying true to the brand of what she is while giving their own spin on it that is both unique and fresh that will have the viewer wanting to revisit the film multiple times. So the way that Greta and Noah wrote this narrative and designed the world Is amazing and they deserve to be given proper notice for their hard work on the film as their styles compliment each other so well and Barbie stands out for many reasons two being the sharp writing and the eye popping visuals. 

Secondly, The performances in this film are so fun! The central role of Barbie being played by Margot Robbie was such a good casting choice and then when it was announced Ryan Gosling was going to be playing Ken I was so interested to see how he would take that on. Not only were they the perfect Barbie and Ken but both of them gave stellar performances that are heartwarming and humorous all at once. They approach it differently when it comes to executing it but the humour and serious elements work so well for Margot and Ryan. Margot Robbie reminded me very much of Jim Carrey in the Truman Show having a identity crisis but its not the same performance it has some things that may seem similar but she gives as a whole a very different performance then Jim did in that film. What she stands for is the perfect doll and when things start going not well she learns to tap into feelings she never thought she had to begin with as she is supposed to have no faults. Seeing Margot Robbie tap into such a human side of this character was interesting and very emotional she pulls off a leading performance of the character that packs a punch of heart that fills your heart full of joy. Then their is Ryan Gosling and as much as I love Margot Robbie’s performance he is the scene stealer of the film and walks away with the whole film for many reasons he gives a humorous performance that isn’t just played for laughs but theirs a sadness to him you wouldn’t expect from Ken but Ryan brings the character to emotional territory that worked for his character and made a great lasting impact. Everyone else in the film gave solid performances but it’s the two central leads that will win your hearts over with their explosive chemistry and solid individual performances at hand. 

Lastly, Barbie is a freaking great film that in anyone else’s hands wouldn’t of worked but because it was Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach they pulled off something that on paper shouldn’t work but it does after seeing the final result. They were able to make a Barbie film that explores such deep themes while at the same time keeping it like a non stop party for people to enjoy. It goes head first into everything Barbie for lifelong fans and respects the brand while also delivering both humour and heart in a film that is one of the best written films I’ve seen all year that is truly so much fun while also tugging at your heartstrings Barbie is amazing I recommend everyone go see this film. 

This film centres around Barbie and when she notices her days aren’t as perfect as they should be she travels with ken to the real world to fix what’s going on

Rated PG - 13 : Suggestive References|Brief Language

Margot Robbie : Robbie shines brightly as the title role in a very emotionally driven portrayal of the character! Now it comes to no ones surprise she can pull off this role as she is currently the most popular in actress right now due to her sucess in critically well received films from the Wolf Of Wall Street, I, Tonya, Bombshell, Once Upon A Time In Hollywood and even though she’s known for playing Harley Quinn this film has to be her most commercially successful film of her career as of right now. As for the longest time she’s done dramas and a few comedies but not to the success rate of this film sure the superhero films she has done have done well but in those film she was part of a big cast even her solo film Birds of Prey which she headlined wasn’t a big box office winner. This film grossed a billion dollars and she plays the title character so she for sure will be getting a lot of big offers if not already from the massive hit this film has become. Now the question is how do you approach a character that’s known globally to millions of people that have warmed the hearts of many for over 50 years and what can you bring to the audience to win them over that its something fresh they haven’t seen before. The best idea was to make her have a crisis about who she is and where she fits in the world and no one better to be what they call stereotypical Barbie then Margot Robbie who is stunning and looks perfect so for her to approach this character in the first twenty minutes as someone who has the best day ever, her teeth are perfect she has the best outfits, she has the coolest parties and then one day she realizes she wants to see whats outside her world which makes for such a fantastic arc for her to embark on. Since her character for the lack of word lives in a bubble throwing her into the ‘real world’ was a perfect way to create conflict and at times fantastic comedy for the character. We see how positive she is but even though she thinks that Barbie represents the perfect representation of womanhood when she comes to the real world she gets catcalled, criticized for how that doll has set back feminism so many years and she’s not used to being talked about in a negative light which is tough for her to understand that people can have such a not nice opinion on her not because she has a ego or anything its due to her never hearing anything but positives about herself. It grounds her in many ways so she also can better understand about human beings and different ways of expressing herself instead of just joy not saying she has to be negative but her emotional range is limited until she finds how people really are. Then she learns about just being okay to cry and knowing that its alright to be in your feelings something she has no concept of either even though she has great moments of confusion she is able to find herself when throwing herself into0 situations she has no idea how to handle as she’s never learned how to figure them out as everything usually goes perfectly for her so her having to find a  solution on her own makes her a stronger person and being able to be in tune with herself in a more authentic way. The more she learns about the world and people the more she wants to stay their and she does not want to belong in any box or any category she just wants to be here and once she realizes this theirs no going back for her as much as she loves where she is from she finds to better suit her and even though the world may not be perfect she loves that. Margot brings such wholesome loving aspect to her heart that screams happiness and then she goes about figuring out who she is throughout the film she has this curious and wonder like aspect to her eyes that is looking at so many things with a fresh perspective. She wears her heart on her sleeve in the fact she feels things very deeply and Margot Robbie captures Barbie in such a fantastic way that is both comedic and deeply heartfelt. Her ability to deliver a line of dialogue with great comedic wit is so greatly timed but she also knows when its the best time to let the tears flow and have the emotion take centre stage her range of emotions she channels in the performance is amazing. She gives a stunning performance that is delightfully moving. 

Ryan Gosling : Gosling steals the film with his show-stopping performance as Ken! I am so tired of people being surprised that Ryan Gosling is good at comedy he has been trying to show people for years. He has shown it in films like Crazy Stupid Love, The Big Short, The Nice Guys so its not some secret talent he’s been showing it for years its just people haven’t really sat up and noticed that much. Is this the most comedically driven he has been in a performance oh very much so. Here he plays Ken the man who feels he has no purpose if its not serving Barbie he feels his place is meaningless.  The great part of his performance is the comedy is sidesplittingly hilarious due to how dedicated Ken feels his life is to keeping Barbie happy but at the same time he goes on his own emotional journey as well. When he arrives in the real world with Barbie he has no idea what masculinity is and how its supposed to look like so when he sees posters of Rocky, horses, trucks and very much things that are catered to the male audience he takes it in the most literal way that is how he is going to recapture his mainlyhood. So when he tries to tell Barbie that he’s been hurt for a long time that she’s constantly shunned him it comes from a very real and honest place as he just wanted a simple invite from her without always feel like he had to compete for her affection. In many ways he actually explores mens mental health as he has no idea what its like to be without her or constantly servicing someone so when he comes to a realization that he can be Ken without being just a typical Ken but be himself in any way he wants to be he finds happiness within himself which in many ways is so beautiful. The reason he steals the whole film is due to his fantastic comedic timing and his ability to steal each frame with his fantastic charismatic energy. The humour at times arises from how serious he takes every situation he’s in to the one hundredth degree but then you can see a real aspect of him just wanting to be accepted As funny as his character  is there is a sincerity to him and fragile like state to his heart he’s trying to express. He even goes head to head with them men in Barbieland for her affection to be essentially top dog and they think by fighting their feelings it’ll solve everything but then when they finally realize getting along with each other is better then just fighting for attention that they both can benefit. It’s such a multilayered comedically brilliant performance that is among one of Ryan Goslings strongest performances of his entire career. He’s able to be both incredibly funny but also show why being a man is also tough too sometimes and trying to figure out what masculinity means to you and how to properly express yourself and trying to just be your true authentic self. He’s able to be very deep and hilarious all at once and it results in a performance that is one of the most talked of the entire year and understandably so he’s outstanding in this film. 

Greta Gerwig : Gerwig gives another brilliantly directed film with her work on Barbie! Now Greta is one of my favourite new voices working today with excellent written stories like Lady Bird and Little Woman she’s very much liked giving stories centred around the female experience which Barbie also does while still going places creatively Gerwig has yet to tackle which is so exciting. If Lady Bird was about the teenage experience and the struggles of been a teenage woman and Little Woman was about finding a voice within a time when being a woman was extremely limiting then Barbie is her exploration of self identity crisis. The fact she takes on a massive brand like Barbie which is a doll to show how human she is I just love her mind that is the approach to she wanted to take as it’s such a brilliant concept. She also juggles the humour with the more serious aspects of the Story as spoken earlier she taps into themes of death, masculinity and ones place in the world and sure their hit on in a very direct way but she keeps the overall picture like a constant fun vibe people can enjoy. As the film is such an uplifting and positive feeling you get from each scene of the film it just screams in joy while also not being a single tone film it’s not soulless it has something to say. For example when she explores the more deeper themes with Ken which is one of the best parts of the film it’s not to make him out to be a joke sure theirs humour in the scenes he’s in but as important as Barbie is he is as equally as important and I love the attention she gave to both characters and not just her. As she discusses how pushed to the side Ken feels and how he wants to be his own person and it’s shown in a very real way that I thought not only serviced the plot well but gave him depth he wouldn’t of had if it was tackled by another filmmaker. Then for the biggest message she wanted to give to girls to walk away with is that being a woman is a hard and no one is perfect so don’t strive for perfection it does not exist so when Barbie goes about having such anxiety of trying to fix her sadness and her imperfections she comes to realize being not pitch perfect is okay I love that takeaway from the film. It dose not talk down to the audience she always gives messages that will bring a tear to your eye and really move you and Barbie is no different it’s able to deliver on those messages while still giving a terrific first way ticket to Barbieworld she executes so much in a truly remarkable way. You can tell she did her homework for Barbie from researching each doll and going head first into the world to properly service the fans and give respect to this doll people have cherished for so long while giving her own spin on it that people will respect for being original and not playing it too safe that we are just seeing something we’ve seen a million times over she cuts her own path for her vision of Barbie that is visually captivating and narratively extraordinary. Greta Gerwig uses Barbie as a way to explore what it means to be imperfect with the perfect Barbie doll and I love that so much Greta is an amazing filmmaker and she again knocks it out of the park with another truly well directed film.