Greta Gerwig, already a heroine in the film realm — both in front of and behind the camera — has pulled off a special sort of miracle in Barbie Land and “the Real World.” As director, co-writer (with partner Noah Baumbach) and all-purpose mastermind behind the phenomenal Barbie, Gerwig has concocted what is most likely this year’s prime example of an “art film meets popcorn movie” spectacular.
Spinning off an idea proposed to her by the stunning Barbie star Margot Robbie, Gerwig has handily achieved her stated goal of creating a movie satisfying to the various audience demographics of those who love, hate or are coolly ambivalent about the Barbie Nation. Candy-colored, gravity-liberated irony meets earnest emotionality and feminist agendas in this multi-layered thinking person’s summer blockbuster.
In effect, Gerwig and clan have upended the culturally monolithic Barbie doll phenom, aptly introduced in a wild prelude with a 2001: A Space Odyssey-esque monolith sequence. We are plunged into the surreal fantasy domain of Barbieland, somewhere between live action, animation, and confectionary décor. Barbies live in their dreamhouses and exude a clean-toothy and cult-like good cheer: “hi Barbie,” “hi, Barbie,” is the communal mantra, until Robbie’s Barbie suddenly ponders death. It’s a pivotal moment in the tale, a memento mori knife twist which sets the deeper story of discovery in motion.