Barbie movie review: Margot Robbie's film is a feminist fable dunked in pink

Greta Gerwig returns to the movies with arguably one of the biggest films of the year, Barbie. Margot Robbie leads the pink cinematic fantasia with Ryan Gosling galloping close behind. Not only does the film have an extraordinarily different visual aesthetic to the rooted mumblecore genre the young filmmaker is usually associated with, but Barbie is also a marked deviation from the Greta Gerwig brand of cinema. 

3 things you need to know 

• Margot Robbie excels as Barbie.
• Ryan Gosling's Ken is endearing but plays second fiddle to Robbie even when the spotlight is on him.
• The winding cast uses notable names like Emma Mackey, Nicola Coughlan and Dua Lipa to name a few, as mere props. 

Hot take

Barbie presents a utopian take on what a world run by women would look like with harsh interludes from the more mundane and sorely drab real world. The film to its credit, manages to traverse both these worlds taking a bird's eye view of all that is wrong with either. Gerwig's films have a tendency to descend into a monologue - Saoirse Ronan's constant coming-of-age inner ramblings in and as Lady Bird is a prime example. Barbie unfortunately overplays its hand in this respect, especially in the second half.

Does Barbie live up to the hype?

Gerwig does a fabulous job of cinematically presenting both sides of the very complicated gender debate also attempting to cover an amicable in-between. For those particularly wanting to experience the visual magic of a life-sized Barbie Land, the pristine pinks and plush cinematography is exactly what one expects, and more. 

Barbie the feminist icon versus Barbie the fascist 

The breathtakingly utopic Barbie Land introduces a spate of airbrushed, high-achieving Barbies running the show, bathing in bliss. The Barbies, however, live with the gargantuan misconception that their becoming feminist icons in Barbie Land, has mirrored itself for the women of the real world. Cracks of existentialism weigh Robbie's stereotypical Barbie down with "catastrophic" flat feet and dare you to mention it - cellulite.

(Margot Robbie's Barbie getting flat feet marks her "catastrophic" descent into reality| Image: Twitter)

Barbie is plucked out of her dream house and thrown into the flip side of the argument, one that believes she is the symbol of sexualised capitalism, unrealistic physical ideals and something that allegedly set the feminist movement back by 50 years - basically, Barbie is a fascist. 

Existentialism as the catalyst

Existentialism may be the main villain in Barbie's blissful forever but it is also the catalyst that takes the story ahead. Kate McKinnon's 'Weird Barbie' is a ragged take on a trusty guiding light goading the still delusional Barbie into picking the tan Birkenstock over the pink pump - a choice that will plunge her into reality.

(Kate McKinnon stars as 'Weird Barbie' in Greta Gerwig's Barbie | Image: Twitter)

In the ultimate analysis, Gerwig effectively paints existentialism as something that plagues almost everybody, as not that bad. 

A role reversal long in the making

Everything Ryan Gosling's Ken stands for is a smart euphemism for how women are positioned in the real world. His lack of surety and independent identity (it's Barbie AND Ken) unceremoniously blossoms into the toxic alpha male as soon as he steps foot - or a rollerblade - into the real world.

(Ryan Gosling stars as Ken in Greta Gerwig's Barbie | Image: @laurageek_28/Twitter)

Ken takes to patriarchy like a fish takes to water. A point worth mentioning, however, is Gosling's inability to overtake Robbie in terms of screen presence, even as he headlines much of what happens in the second half, best described as neatly organised chaos.

Witty humour keeps it compact

The dialogues of the film are its strongest asset. Be it a systematic breakdown of why Barbie may be a fascist to tongue-in-cheek humour often hilariously calling out the far-from-reality foundation of Barbie Land - Barbie goes a long way in subtly breaking the fourth wall. A standout scene eliciting raucous laughter in the theatre was the makers blatantly admitting how Margot Robbie was not the best casting choice as the preceding monologue elaborated on the vanity of looks. 

A dragging, preachy second-half

Barbie packs a punch in its first half turning out to be a rather unique watch as it sets the pitch-perfect tone of the film and introduces its cracks. The second half, however, quickly feels like a drag.

(Greta Gerwig's Barbie features Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling embark on a road trip to the real world | Image: Twitter)

There is a heavy reliance on monologues, which though well-written, is a tad bit overdone. 

Watch it or skip it?

Barbie is for everybody - except children. It relies heavily on quick and witty politically fueled humour. While the plush locales of Barbie Land are not enough to hold the kids in their seats, the quips and plot points are something that can be appreciated by adult cinema-goers, no matter which side of the debate they stand on. 

The Bottomline

Barbie sees Greta Gerwig slightly expand on the repertoire that she has built for herself so far while still staying true to her style of storytelling. The film promises to leave you with a few good laughs and some food for thought, all packaged neatly in a visually-gratifying watch.

(Rating 3.5/5)

(This review is co-authored by Mugdha Kapoor)