Barbie: a Film Review

🎬 Barbie dir. Greta Gerwig 2023

📍Saw it at the cinema

Counter-Gaze Meter: ★★★★☆4/5: Counter-Gaze Engaged

Oh Barbie, so many thoughts. First of all, I’ve seen it three times, all at the cinema, the first watch, I enjoyed it but was confused as to the pacing, some parts seemed a bit quiet, almost sluggish and lagging. The depiction of Ken was confusing to me as I consider him the most likeable character of the film which glosses the actual terrible actions he does in the film. The second time I saw it, I got to appreciate the care and art that was put into this film from the sets, the details behind the props, the artistry behind the costumes/makeup/hair. The third time enabled me to see the film for what it actually is: a great attempt at introducing feminist values in a globally acceptable package yet falling victim to neoliberal western internalised ideals.

• The writing was quite poor:

  
  

  I love Greta Gerwig’s mind and I do think she is a genius in the way she visualises and cares for her characters. However, I did consider that in some scenes the writing was quite poor or perhaps it was the way it was acted out? America Ferrera’s speech was wonderful but I found it disappointing that Greta compounded every little feminist thought in a 10 min tirade that falls on one out of the few women of colour in this film. It almost could be interpreted as a burden that we as women of colour have to shoulder as the REST of women have failed. I think that tirade falls short in how Barbie responds to it, something was missing, could it be Margot Robbie’s acting? Or was it how Margot and Greta imagined Barbie that fails the film? The response from Barbie lacked depth and realisation of the role that White women have had in marginalising Women of colour from feminist causes. It meant that America's character had to do all the heavy lifting for Barbie to end up getting the recognition. In my opinon that big Feminist moment albeit incredibly touching and universal fell short. For a film marketed as THE Feminist movie to watch, it felt like an overly-packed film that ended up superficially approaching feminist issues.

  
  

• The fact that Ken is the most likeable character in this film does it mean that Margot Robbie’s acting was poor?

  
  

  I LOVED Ken in this film. I thought Ryan Gosling was the star of this movie and have his “I’m Just Ken” sequence on repeat. And for that reason, I consider this a failure on the screenplay writers’ part. Ken is actually horrible when you dig deeper, he is just an entitled insecure man. Even when he realises that he is in the wrong he never apologises to Barbie, yet you still love Ken because he is Ken. Well that’s a terrible conclusion. We must hold these men accountable for their mistakes and wrongdoings! Not rationalise and have empathy for them. The first time I saw it, my friend and I were confused as to our feelings towards Ken, wondering if were supposed to feel bad for Ken… In retrospect, NO WE SHOULD NOT. He was capable and is as capable as Barbie to not be stupid. Just because he felt emasculated he decided to band together with other Kens? The entitlement in him spreading “Patriarchy” and take over Barbie Land is blatant in his dick-tatorship. Ken believes that he has the right OVER Barbie and Barbie Land and there isn’t enough of his realisation of his wrongdoing and him holding himself accountable to make Ken a good character. I think that was the major shortcoming of this movie as you do not realise how MUCH of a misogynist Ken is under the gloss and the humour. We needed to see more for it to impact the audience better.

  
  

• As a woman of colour from western Europe, it just felt awfully like an expensive and flashy display of American White Feminism. It just felt like “Yes all women are the same”, let’s all band together, #GirlBoss Energy. And I couldn’t identify with this personally. Yes Mattel still had its hand over the production of the film thus would want to make it as commercial and mainstream as possible. In effect, the story cannot scare away the producers who hold the purse strings. But as a result, the film offers a very simplified illustration of the realities of patriarchy and the gendered effects.

  
  

• Wider impact + Award season:

  
  

  We cannot ignore the immense global impact of this film for which I am so so so happy about. I loved how everything was pink. The marketing for this film was impeccable. It reached audiences that no one would have thought it would. And for that, it makes sense that the film was quite superficial in its delivery in order to be accessible to the wider audience. This is the constant tension I would assume that exists between staying true to your message and conveying it in a packaged way that is acceptable to the masses. It is also important to note how the film and Greta Gerwig were snubbed at most award ceremonies which is sadly not surprising. Not cerebral enough, too commercial I guess…. Yet Oppenheimer, a too long, self-indulgent movie about a White man gets all the praise and the industry respect… Whose bum did they have to kiss lol. The silver lining is that Billie Eilish’s masterpiece of a song got to represent the film’s heart by sweeping all the music categories.

---

Counter-Gaze Meter: ★★★★☆4/5: Counter-Gaze Engaged

It is a great attempt to a marvelously and magnificent comedic illustration of the effects of patriarchy. Barbie however lacks a more intersectinal lens on how gender issues impact people differently. I'm glad it was made and the legacy for female-written/directed blockbusters is incredible. It has opened the doors for so many future female directors and that is so wonderful. And i can't wait for the next big feminist blockbuster!