Barbie (2023)

 

Review. (This was a post in my Facebook page, typed direct there rather than posting it here)

For a story based on kids toy, the story for this film is very adult. Alright, before fantasies are launched, let me be clear. Yes, it's about girls' (and some boys, don't be coy here) most popular toy doll .... And it doesn't take a big stretch to know that we continue to play with dolls when we are adults. Well, some of us anyway especially those who collects merchandises ( I had James Bond and Aston Martin scale models not too long ago).

Why adults may like this? That's because the film goes deep, becomes more of a satiric take on existential crisis some of us have or are driven into when the question about mortality and the meaning of life start bugging us (or, are asked by jerks who sell religions). It's that moment in most of our lives when we really question all that's around us and makes us try to get closer to our creator.

That what exactly happens to Barbie here and it's beautifully told by the filmaker and the scriptwriter who understood how to get the story across to kids and adults alike.

I was looking forward to this films simply because of being a Margot Robbie fan. But as much as she was perfectly cast, I was completely drawn into this world despite being colour blind all... And, being a very, very amateur philosophy enthusiast/student, the films take on existentialism, with a bit of theological undercurrent intrigued me. 

I mean, here I was , both drooling and admiring Robbie's performance (there's a slice of her Harley Quinn somewhere, I know) and then immediately taken into the intricate world of mother daughter relationship and thrown headlong emphatically understanding into the pain of growing up as a woman, the expectations in being perfect and I am sure this also makes a perfect film for mother and daughter outing and bonding.

As usual with films that thrive in concepts, the pace sags somewhere in the middle but picks up anyway. I really enjoyed it and it pretty much matched my expectations. A special mention must be made to the production design...it's immaculate recreation of the Barbie's world is a sight to behold, I suspect it will get a nod during the award season next year. 

Now that we have been seeing the friendly rivalry with Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer, it's intriguing to know that one of Barbie's early designer had also worked with Raytheon, a god-damned defense company (story link in the comment space)...how about that?

#rakeshmovietalk