2020-2029, Film Review

Barbie (2023)

Posted on August 1, 2023August 1, 2023 by Martin: Through the Silver Screen

**© Warner Bros. Pictures, Mattel Films and Heyday Films**

Barbie – Film Review

Cast: Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, America Ferrera, Kate McKinnon, Issa Rae, Rhea Perlman, Will Ferrell, Hari Nef, Alexandra Shipp, Emma Mackey, Sharon Rooney, Dua Lipa, Nicola Coughlan, Ana Cruz Kayne, Ritu Arya, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Simu Liu, Scott Evans, Ncuti Gatwa, Michael Cera

Director: Greta Gerwig

Synopsis: After suffering an existential crisis, one Barbie (Robbie) must journey to the real world in search of answers…

Review: A parody of Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey is probably one of the last ways you’d expect a film centred on one of the most influential toys to have ever been created to start. “Since the beginning of time, since the first little girl ever existed, there have been dolls. But the dolls were always and forever baby dolls,” intones Helen Mirren’s narrator. It wasn’t until 1959, when a company called Mattel launched a toy which would change not just the doll industry, but the toy industry forever with over a billion dolls sold worldwide, and her name is Barbie. A plethora of animated movies followed since, but while it has been mooted for a long time, a live-action film had for a long time looked as though it would never escape the doldrums of the plastic box of development hell. This is until, Greta Gerwig, after her success with a beautiful directorial debut and a superb adaptation of one of the most beloved novels of all time stepped in, and the result is one of the funniest, and pinkest movies you will ever see in your life.

In the picturesque world of Barbie Land, live all of the Barbies, each of whom has their own unique role in their perfect society. One such Barbie is the stereotypical Barbie (Robbie), who wakes up every day living her best life, spending days by the beach, having parties in her dream house, and organising girls’ nights with all of the other Barbies in the community. Nights filled with sleepovers, parties and the dulcet tones of Dua Lipa and Lizzo providing an irresistibly catchy soundtrack. This is until one night, one passing comment about death causes everything in her perfect world to go very wrong, including cold showers, falling off her roof, and worst of all, gasps, flat feet. Determined to find answers, Barbie must journey, with her partner Ken (Gosling) in tow, to the real world to figure out what is causing the imperfections in her perfect lifestyle to happen and whether she can fix them before it is too late.

**You can see why they ran out of all the pink paint…**

As is the case with superhero movies, or murder mystery movies, it pays to know as little as possible before making the journey to Barbie Land. Beyond what is teased in the trailers, this is no ordinary Barbie movie. Gerwig’s screenplay (co-written by her partner Noah Baumbach) really goes all in on the themes it chooses to approach and is not afraid to tackle meaningful social commentary surrounding feminism, gender roles, the negative impact that Barbie has had on the standards of beauty for women, and the patriarchal nature of the real world and its abject treatment of women, a very stark contrast to the idyllic world of Barbie Land. A severe rude awakening for Barbie, but one that considerably piques Ken’s interest who finds a new sense of purpose to his existence beyond merely being an accessory for Barbie. Gerwig and Baumbach deserve great credit for their scope and ambition as the script strikes a playful balance between thought-provoking social commentary and Barbie’s toy history and also goes for some big swings, all with fantastic wit and sharp meta-humour.

From the moment she was cast, Margot Robbie felt like the perfect choice to play the lead role of Stereotypical Barbie, and she does not disappoint. Throughout her career, she has portrayed a wide range of charismatic characters and has always embodied those roles perfectly, whether it’s her perfect turns as Harley Quinn or as the no-holds-barred party girl in Babylon. Now she can add Barbie to that list of roles which felt tailor-made for her because she looks the part, but also has the required acting chops necessary for both the film’s light-hearted moments and the more serious moments. Alongside her, Gosling is equally perfect as Ken. His career has often seen him in intense dramas where he appears stoic and cold. However, he has also proved he has serious talent as a comedic actor and never has that shone more brightly than in The Nice Guys. His performance as Ken is unlike anything you have seen from him before. No matter if he’s showing off his muscles, or a passionate song and dance number, he owns every minute of screen time he has. In such a star-studded cast, Robbie and Gosling stand out among all the respective Barbies and Kens, though Weird Barbie (McKinnon) is given plenty of moments to shine. Outside of the would-be plastic dolls, America Ferrera gives a noteworthy as a disgruntled Mattel employee who might hold the key to why Barbie’s world is falling apart.

It’s been well documented when designing the film’s incredible sets, they needed so much pink paint that it contributed to a worldwide shortage of that particular colour, no expense spared for Barbie’s dream house, as it should be, and it was most definitely worth it as the film’s production design is immaculately impressive and rich in its detail. The same is also most definitely true of the costumes which have been faithfully recreated for the big screen. While the film blasts through its 114-minute running time, there is one side plot with Will Ferrell’s ~~Lord Business~~ Mattel CEO which can feel a bit throw away but it does not detract from the fact that Greta Gerwig has created a film which manages to be a fuschia-infused party, an uproarious comedy, and a thought-provoking look at modern society rolled into one and completes Gerwig’s hat-trick after her success with Lady Bird and Little Women. Come on Barbie, let’s go party!

A feminist and hilarious ode to the doll which has defined generations and will almost certainly continue to do so for many more generations to come. Life in plastic is truly fantastic!

2010-2019, Film Review

Little Women (2019)

Posted on January 11, 2020June 8, 2025 by Martin: Through the Silver Screen

**Image is property of Columbia Pictures, Regency Enterprises and Sony Pictures**

Little Women – Film Review

Cast: Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson, Florence Pugh, Eliza Scanlen, Laura Dern, Timothée Chalamet, Meryl Streep, Tracy Letts, Bob Odenkirk, James Norton, Louis Garrel, Chris Cooper

Director: Greta Gerwig

Synopsis: Telling the lives of the March sisters as they navigate the transition from adolescence to adulthood in a post-Civil War USA…

Review: After the storming success of her unique and original debut film, which added her name to the select few women to have been nominated for an Oscar for directing, the world was the oyster for Greta Gerwig. For her sophomore feature, she would have likely had the green light to make anything that she so desired. Therefore, to give the beloved novel by Louisa May Alcott another adaptation seemed to be unnecessary. However, Gerwig has taken on this adaptation and breathed new life into this beloved story, in magnificent style.

In a post-Civil War United States, we meet the March sisters: Jo (Ronan), Meg (Watson), Amy (Pugh) and Beth (Scanlen). We see their lives from two different time periods, firstly in a post-Civil War setting, mixed in with flashbacks to their time spent growing up together in Massachusetts. Jo is determined to make her own way in the world to pursue a career as a writer, Amy wishes to become an artist, Meg dreams of becoming an actress, and Beth aspires to be a musician. They assist their mother (Dern) in any way they can while their father is away fighting in the war. Growing up, the sisters spend a lot of their time together, supporting their mother in any way they could, as their lack of money meant that luxuries were extremely hard to come by.

Straight away, the chemistry between the four sisters leaps off the screen. There is a warm feeling that comes off in the relationships that they have with each other. Their chemistry feels very sincere and genuine, which is a credit to the talent of the actresses playing them. As anyone who grew up with one or more siblings will tell you, they love and care for each other. Yet, at any given moment, that can flip on its head, and that love can turn to loathing. Every member of this cast delivers delightful performances, from Meryl Streep’s hilarious turn as their snidey (but hilarious) Aunt, to Laura Dern as their steadfast and extremely patient mother, to Timothee Chalamet as their childhood friend, who becomes the man that they all would dream of marrying.

However, the stars of the show (as they should be), are the titular little women, the March sisters. Gerwig’s screenplay explores in great detail the pressures that women like the sisters would have faced during that time period. Finding themselves in a position where they would love nothing more than to follow their hearts, but they are frustrated due to the constraints that society placed on women at the time. The strength of the screenplay ensures that Gerwig gives each of her stars excellent material to work with. It enables each of their personalities to shine through, and though each of them all give a sincere performance, the performances by Saoirse Ronan’s Jo and Florence Pugh’s Amy shine the brightest.

The score by Alexandre Desplat is befitting of the warm and delightful ambience that the film generates. Similarly, Jacqueline Durran’s wonderful costumes perfectly illustrate the calibre of such an esteemed, Oscar-winning costume designer. The film adopts a non-linear approach to its storytelling, which can perhaps be a little jarring at first to any viewers who may be unfamiliar with the source material. It’s a testament to Alcott’s novel that it can still resonate with people over a century and a half after it was first published, proving it to be a timeless piece of storytelling. Furthermore, it has proved to be a springboard for a talent like Greta Gerwig to adapt it once again for the big screen so beautifully. She retains those powerful core messages that will especially resonate with everyone, regardless of their gender, but especially for women who grew up with sisters.

One might have argued that this beloved novel did not need yet another adaptation. However, a terrific ensemble cast led by Ronan and Pugh, combined with Gerwig’s excellent screenplay, ensures that this latest adaptation will charm its way into your heart.

2010-2019, Film Review

Lady Bird (2018)

Posted on March 2, 2018July 9, 2023 by Martin: Through the Silver Screen

**Image is property of A24, Universal Pictures and Scott Rudin Productions**

Lady Bird – Film Review

Cast: Saoirse Ronan, Laurie Metcalf, Tracy Letts, Lucas Hedges, Timothée Chalamet, Beanie Feldstein

Director: Greta Gerwig

Synopsis: Lady Bird (Ronan) is a 17 year old woman in the final year of high school, while having a tricky relationship with her mother, must negotiate friendships, romance and the prospect of college…

Review: For some, those teenage years are the best times of your life, on the brink of adulthood but not quite at that point where you have to start looking after your own affairs. It’s something that we all go through and is as much a part of life as death and taxes. As such, to make such a film about going through that particular period of life, and to give it such a refreshing and unique spin is a very impressive feat, even more so considering that this is the film that marks the directorial debut of Greta Gerwig.

Focusing on Christine or Lady Bird as she prefers to be known, as she navigates her final year of school before heading off to college. Before that can happen though, she experiences everything people go through in their final year of school, establishing friendships, making new relationships, and bickering with your parents. It is such a simple, almost by the numbers premise that has been done so many times before. Yet through her remarkable and screenplay that has some razor sharp wit and humour, Gerwig fashions a story that will be relatable to almost all who watch it, as everyone will have remembered that point in their lives when they were in the exact same position as Lady Bird finds herself here, particularly when it comes to moving away from home and settling down at college/university.

A key reason why this film feels so fresh and so impactful is the performance of Saoirse Ronan. You know that when you just see the character and not the actor is when you know you’re witnessing a good performance, and that is applicable to almost everyone in the film. Everything about her just feels so real and genuine, and though she has a bit of a temper (let’s be fair who didn’t when they were a teenager?) she is effortlessly watchable. To have already garnered three Oscar nominations at the age of 23 is a staggeringly impressive achievement and it is a testament to her wonderful ability as an actor. With everyone everyone else on screen giving perfect performances, it does feel like you’re watching real people with real lives, rather than watching a film.

Special mention must go to Laurie Metcalf as Lady Bird’s mother. This Mother-Daughter relationship makes up the most significant portion of the film. It is a relationship that is far from perfect, indeed it’s a pretty fraught one at times. Yet there is a clear respect for one another, even if they don’t always show it. In everything, the film says about a teenager’s typical struggles, especially for teenage girls. It manages to tell them in a manner that almost no coming-of-age film has done before. What’s more, the film is utterly hilarious, it finds its humour in all of those little moments that life throws at us when we’re on the brink of adulthood. The road of life is full of ups and downs and this film captures those moments of joy and heartbreak and tells them with such affection, that you will want a pal like Lady Bird around in your life. She’s just that lovable.