Yesterday - a rainy day in northern England. What to do? Shirley was meeting up for lunch with a bunch of other retired practice nurses so I decided to head down to "The Showroom" in the city centre. My chosen film was "Barbie" starring Margot Robbie as Barbie and Ryan Gosling as Ken.
I had read some stuff about it - including how the film had riled some sections of the American right who amongst other mean complaints, bridled at the encouragement of "girl power". Also "The Guardian" said of "Barbie": "It’s a riotously entertaining candy-coloured feminist fable that manages simultaneously to celebrate, satirise and deconstruct its happy-plastic subject. Audiences will be delighted."
There was singing and dancing and many clever references to plastic Barbie's heyday. The film was colourful, consciously silly and yet rather like a good episode of "The Simpsons" it contained some interesting and challenging notions just below the comedic surface.
There's Barbieland and not too far away there's The Real World. Barbie and Ken get to travel between the two as Barbie seeks the little girl who once owned her in order to combat issues that have begun to threaten her perfectly pink happiness.
Over at Mattel corporate headquarters, the chairman of the board is played by Will Ferrell who is well-cast as a madcap and suited leader of a business that is anxious to keep on thriving.
"Barbie" is quite absurd as I am sure everybody involved in its making would admit but it is also joyful and colourful and if you let yourself go with it all you end up leaving the cinema as I did - thoroughly entertained. Oh, and I must admit that Margot Robbie is gorgeous. If there had been Barbie dolls like her back in the day, I would have begged for one at Christmas.
I really want to see it!
ReplyDeleteThere's a little bit of Barbie or Ken in all of us.
DeleteI thought I didn't want to see it but now I do. Margot Robbie is perfectly cast!
ReplyDeleteI hope you surrender to it Margaret.
DeleteLots of buzz about this film. Good to hear your take o it.
ReplyDeleteYou could be Ken and Jean could be Barbie.
DeleteMy sister and I were hoping to watch the Barbie film at the cinema in Ripon, but much to our disappointment it was closed about a month before we arrived. Sad to see it go - it was a nice place, and a 5 minute walk from our cottage. Now the nearest cinemas are in Harrogate or Thirsk.
ReplyDeleteI still plan on seeing the film, maybe not at a cinema but when it becomes available for streaming. Your review ties in with what I have heard and read about it so far.
How sad that Ripon's cinema has closed its doors - probably forever. Long live The Curzon!
DeleteI haven't yet seen Barbie but I will get around to it, even if I wait until it is on TV. I never had an actual Barbie doll, I had one of the cheaper "copycats" and only played with her for about a week I think, then I went back to reading books. I was never a doll person.
ReplyDeleteIs a doll person someone who is made from plastic?
DeleteOur daughter had a Barbie video "The Princess and the Pauper". I watched it over and over again too. It's brilliant.
ReplyDeleteSometimes it's nice to have screen fun - nothing too cerebral.
DeleteMaybe I should go see it.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds a happy film, with a feminist motif. I though the Guardian took it a bit too seriously but then they have to take a middle road. Don't go to the cinema so unless it appears on the television will see it then.
ReplyDeleteI haven't seen this yet but it's on my list. Knowing Greta Gerwig directed it reassures me that there's some substance. Ryan Gosling's not so bad either!
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