BARBIE or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Womanhood

The idea of a Barbie movie is not entirely out of the ordinary. They have made tons of them straight to home video already. The element of this that made it more interesting and compelling was the hiring of Greta Gerwig as the co writer and director and her husband Noah Baumbach as the other co writer. This film has been in development for quite a long time and at one point it had Diablo Cody writing and Amy Schumer starring. The idea or Greta and Baumbach with the inclusion of Margot Robbie as a producer and the star is what got people talking and created the hype. The idea of these two mega talented filmmakers behind the project and one of the greatest actresses of our time both behind and in front of the camera was unexpected when discussing the possibility of a Barbie movie.

The success of the Barbie movie was not something that anyone really expected. At this moment of writing, the film has been out for a month and has made 1.4 billion dollars making it the highest grossing film in 2023. With an IMAX rerelease at the end of September, this film is on its way to become one of the top 10 or even top 5 highest grossing films of all time. At the point this article is out, I have seen the film 5 times and will for sure watch it many more times when it finally gets a physical release. What makes this film such a hit for people that they are going back again and again including me? The simple answer is that it’s a much deeper and complex film than many would assume. In this review, I will get into what I mean in a deeper sense.

On the surface, Barbie is just a damn good movie. A fun existential ride crafted by one of the leading filmmakers in terms of this generation of cinema. The ability this film has to go from goofy to super sad and soul crushing is a super power that many films don’t know how to wield and many wield it incorrectly. It’s no secret that studios are super out of touch when it comes to what they think film fans want. Their idea of a perfect film is a cookie cutter superhero film with some bad visual effects and childish humour. That fact alone makes Barbie stand out compared to the rest. The film is a strong story with complex characters and a message that everyone can feel in some way. Many of these studio blockbusters are devoid of any emotional resonance, but Barbie swims in that ocean of emotions thanks to Baumbach and Gerwig.

The film is also an interesting film visually based entirely on how Greta decided to shoot it. The film utilizes real sets and elaborate practical effects and techniques that are sadly missing from most modern studio ventures. The costume work and the set design are definitely stand out elements of the film and I could see them getting some recognition when awards season comes around.

The acting of the film is stellar as well as everyone does their parts to perfection. I don’t think anyone was miscasted and none of the characters felt unnecessary at all. Ryan Gosling, Margot Robbie, America Ferrara and Michael Cera are definitely the standouts of the film. I could definitely see Margot and Ryan being in the oscars conversation when we get closer to the event. The performances have a depth that you wouldn’t necessarily think a blockbuster studio film would have.

The score and the music in the film felt to connected to the experience in a way that I haven’t felt in a while. The songs made for the film fit well into their scenes and the album didn’t feel like an unnecessary add on used to cash in on some musicians’ popularity. The best songs of the film are surprisingly not from a big musician, but Ryan Gosling. His Ken ballad and his cover of Push where standout elements of the music department. The score is so fitting to the film in a way that makes it stand out in retrospective as well.

The movie overall on the surface is one that I can’t think of anything negative to say about, but the deeper layers is where the film starts to stand out from all the other crowdpleasers that made a ton of money. This film actually has something to say which is rare from studio films. You may have seen from the online discourse around this film that some believe it’s “anti-men”. That couldn’t be further from the truth as the film is more of an analysis of the power structures in our world and how they are helping facilitate the problems in our world. The film does have a very feminist edge to it, but it’s not as “toxic” as toxic men online are stating. The film is one about the transformation that girls go through when they move into women hood and unfair expectations that come from it. The film also takes a look at the other side of the equation at how the world ruins boys in a certain way when they turn into “men” and how many guys don’t like that expectation put on them. It’s very much a film about how our expectations of gender as a society are hurting many and don’t really work in our modern day and age.

A deeper trans layer I took from this film was one of trans women when they decide to embrace womanhood. The movie follows Barbie as she lives in an ideal world which very much represents how many trans women see the world before they start to transition. Barbie is thrown into the real world and sees the complex problems being placed on women at the hands of male dominated systems which very much feels like the moment when trans women see how the world operates and finds out the good and the bad of being a woman. The end of the film sees Barbie, knowing the good and the bad deciding to become a real woman which very much feels like a trans woman making the choice to step into the world of womanhood. There are so many lines in the film that lean into that idea as well. We have multiple lines about how she’s becoming a woman with one specifically where Barbie states something like “this is what it’s like to be a woman” or “i’m becoming a woman already” with America Ferrara stating “welcome to the team”. This film truly is one about a manufactured version of a woman becoming a real woman and getting a vagina. The film ends with a joke of her excited to go to her gynaecologist which seems very much a reflection of trans women being excited to finally be a woman.

BARBIE is a very surprising blockbuster. It’s one that did super well so far and it actually has something to say. A film that is thematically and visually interesting with some deep complex elements that everyone can relate to. It’s a movie that combines so many elements that have not worked together for many in the past and does it flawlessly. A blockbuster made for mainstream audiences that tackles being a woman in modern times and existentialism while also being a fun time. Barbie is truly an impressive feat of cinema and probably one of the most interesting and important films of recent. I can see a future where this film is highly regarded with such pieces of cinema as 2001: A Space Odyssey or Jaws. There's a certain power this film wields and it's undeniable.

The Rating