Barbie - 💥💥💥

Director: Greta Gerwig

Writers: Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach

Release Date: 21st July 2023 

Hot Rating: 💥💥💥

Synopsis: Barbie follows doll Barbie (Margot Robbie) as she embarks on a mission to reignite the bond between herself and her teen play pal in the real world. Accompanied by needy partner, Ken (Ryan Gosling), Barbie befriends outsiders in the real world and discovers life's possibilities beyond perfection.

Review: Greta Gerwig’s candy-coloured spectacle Barbie delivers stunning production design but an uneven story. Margot Robbie fills Barbie’s pink stilettos with charm, while Ryan Gosling is hilarious in his brooding, himbo version of Ken. The script from Gerwig and Noah Baumbach hits substantive themes of female empowerment and conformity with varying success. While Barbie is certainly sincere in its messaging, its social satire feels heavy-handed at times and the humour with which it communicates these messages doesn’t always land (for this, I blame Will Ferrell). Still, ‘Barbie’ ultimately inspires with its message to embrace weirdness and live boldly, something that can be attributed to the film’s impeccable production design and costuming. Lush palettes and hyper-stylised sets are beautifully rendered, evidenced in particular through Barbie’s doll-like dream home and the beacon of bravado that is Ken’s dojo mojo casa house. For this wild production design alone, the film is worth a watch.