REVIEW: Barbie proves that pink goes with EVERYTHING and exceeds expectations

Forget everything you created from expectations to watch the movie Barbie. The production of Warner Bros. will show you something totally different. Directed by filmmaker Greta Gerwig (Lovely Women, 2019), this film leads the viewer to experience a series of visions and feelings that are previously difficult to find when watching a movie about a toy. Check out the spoiler-free review:

The plot

Living in Barbaland, Barbie and its thousands of other versions lead a perfect life, washed down with lots of pink, pretend meals, the beach, parties and enviable looks. They definitely have the best of everything, while sharing their universe with the Kens, just being the Kens.

However, at a certain point everything starts to change for the stereotypical barbie, Played by Margot Robbie. The character begins to face unpleasant situations, such as a cold (without water) bath, falls and the abominable fact that her heels touch the ground.

Accepting that it is defective, the Mattel doll goes in search of solutions and ventures into the so feared and uncomfortable real world, alongside the Ken de Ryan Gosling (Blade Runner 2049.

The principal

In the fourth film of her career, Greta Gerwig puts into play much of what he learned from his works and characters outside the socially accepted pattern and presents a world that takes the public back to his youth, where everything was easy, or at least it seemed to be.

The creation of Barbilândia, for example, is a clear representation of children's games, where dolls ate from dishes devoid of any food and did not need a floor or stairs to move around.

As it is a film that talks, above all, about toys, it was to be expected the amounts of good humor that take over the movie theater and make people watch the work with a smile on their faces. But, the big key of this point is found in the balance between light jokes, since it is a doll's film, and direct satire on the patriarchal system in which human beings find themselves today.

Incidentally, accurate criticisms of machismo along with issues involving the role of women are stamped figures in the works of Greta Gerwig. As can be seen in Lady Bird – Time to Fly e Lovely Women, the director does not spare the public when the idea is to shed light on gender discrimination.

a pleasurable satire

Em Barbie, this is all very evident when the main character needs to leave her home, in a society practically dominated by women, and go to the real world, where men are the agents, even if they try to disguise it, as stated in the film itself. To involve questions about the subject in the feature film, the director uses the character of Ken, very well lived by Ryan Gosling, which exudes charisma and screen presence.

main arch

Returning to the Arch Barbie, the doll at first finds herself lost in a completely aggressive and frightening environment for her innocent personality. On a mission to find her owner — the girl she belongs to —, she goes through situations that shape not only her view of the world, but also her view of herself.

Deluded by the maxim that dolls Barbies were made to improve the lives of all the girls in the world, the main character begins to realize that her creation, with the image of an aesthetically perfect being, with a status of unattainable in reality, has become offensive. After all, there are many people who have already blamed themselves for not having the designed body and delicate face of the doll.

And this is where the film hits the spot. Upon realizing that her owner is no longer a five-year-old girl, but a working mother, surrounded by problems and existential crises, Barbie he starts to question his real role and understands that there is nothing wrong with being ordinary and facing everyday obstacles.

Soundtrack and guest appearances

As if that were not enough, the feature film also has special appearances. One of the most striking, in fact, is the presence of the actor John Cena (The Suicide Squad, 2021) appearing as mermaid ken and drawing sincere smiles from the audience. The character even appears at a certain moment as a romantic partner of Barbie mermaid, played by the singer Dua Lipa.

Touching on the subject of the soundtrack, by the way, this walks in perfect harmony with the unfolding of the story. Used as a technical device to emphasize situations that occur in the plot, the songs presented in Barbie appear as a complement for the viewer to understand the situation on screen. Unlike the old doll animations, where singing was constantly on the scene, here the dosage of melodies appears in the ideal measure, led by the impactful Dance the Night, which raises the spirits of the feature.

Conclusion

This can be considered as one of the best works of the career of Greta Gerwig. By reproducing an unconventional version of the most famous doll in the world, the director not only gives the public the opportunity to see themselves in some of the characters.

The production uses dialogues, arguments, graphic elements, the color pink and jokes with toys, to show its audience that, yes, it is possible to question the macho culture. And this is a sign that the film has managed to fulfill its social role, while at the same time delivering due entertainment to viewers of all tastes and ages who were looking forward to this great release.

Barbie premieres in Brazilian theaters this Thursday (20). The production already has a 90% critical approval rating Rotten Tomatoes – website specialized in evaluating movies. To check the movie theaters available in your city, visit the website ticket.com.

Watch the trailer for Barbie

See also:

The complete filmography of Greta Gerwig, the director of “Barbie”

Text proofread by: Pedro Bomfim (18/07/23)