 |
Image by Vinithasree3 (via Twitter) |
Twenty years from now a middling movie will be released about this weekend in the summer of 2023 where filmgoers placed all of their hopes on the dual releases of two auteur features: Greta Gerwig's subversive yet commercially friendly toy adaptation, Barbie, and Christopher Nolan's mammoth examination of the man who led the development of the atomic bomb and the existential toll it took on him, Oppenheimer. I don't know if I'll go see that film (Will we ever recover from this wave of minor key how-was-it-made movies like Tetris and The Beanie Bubble?), but given the opportunity I will definitely go see these two juggernauts back-to-back again. Both films had their predetermined audiences (children and the nostalgic for the former, any number of nerd subset and your dad for the latter), but when they joined hands and strode into your local cineplex on July 21 they brought just about everyone else with them too, becoming a bona fide cultural phenomenon in an era where the zeitgeist is on to the next exciting thing before the current thing has even wrapped. (Look no further than last thing Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning, Part 1 for proof.) The films smashed box office expectations and created a much needed moment of unity amongst film communities. I don't know how long the high will last, or when the backlash (beyond the boneheaded conservative pearl-clutching that was happening before the films were even released) will arrive, but I'm trying to hold onto this vibe for as long as possible. Because I had a great time at the movies. And, from what I could tell, so did everyone else. Let's get into it.
Part 1: Barb-
I hadn't intended to see Barbie first. Oppenheimer looked depressing, so it felt right to chase that heavy meal with something lighter and sweeter. But work schedules and AMC Theatres conspired against me, meaning at 12:15 on Friday afternoon my wife and I found our seats in the local Dolby Cinema and settled in for the long haul: Barbie, a 45-minute break, and then Oppenheimer in the exact same seats. And as it turns out, Barbie first was probably the right way to see these films. Because it was so much more than I ever thought it would be.
Barbie is bound to be the more divisive of the two films, and the one that will surely take away the most attention. Behind the endless shades of pink lies a bold and urgent movie that wants to examine everything from its own complicated legacy and place in modern society to codependent relationships and toxic masculinity. This shouldn't surprise anyone who is familiar with Greta Gerwig's former films. Or her co-writer husband Noah Baumbach's, for that matter. There's a speech in the middle, delivered beautifully by America Ferrera, that feels like an extended, modernized version of the one towards the end of Gerwig's Little Women. And its surreal yet emotionally raw worldbuilding feels akin to Baumbach's last feature, White Noise (or if you, like most, missed that one consider Fantastic Mr. Fox, which he adapted alongside Wes Anderson).
That being said, it will probably be a shock to children across the globe who are showing up because of their love for Mattel's flagship doll, and the parents who have begrudgingly brought their children to this, unaware that it is a film more about them than their children... at least until their children grow up. Not that this shouldn't be seen by children - it very much should. It's the kind of film that families should see together and then talk about afterwards. It is a film about growing up, what one generation passes on to the next, and individuality/autonomy. It does not talk down to kids, something that in this country is too often misconstrued as "This is not talking to kids." Take your kids, be prepared to deep dive later... But maybe have a plan of attack in case the "beach you off" scene comes up, because I honestly don't know how to explain that double entendre to a young one.
If Barbie sounds heavy, that's because it is. But it's also a ton of fun. I mean, it opens with a
2001: A Space Odyssey riff that ends with little girls brutalizing baby dolls... That wasn't the fun they were probably looking for, but Mattel wouldn't have allowed Gerwig to make this movie (aside from their desire to be the next MCU or court the progressive demographic), if it wasn't over-the-top fun. Emotional intelligence stuff aside, its also a maximalist celebration of imagination and possibility, as viewed through the lens of their product. The plot starts in Barbieland, a pocket universe made entirely of plastic and bright colors, where all types of Barbies seem to live in the clueless splendor of a child's imagination. Every day is perfect and no one questions why the women all stand on tiptoes or why buildings are missing half their walls. Our hero, "Stereotypical" Barbie (Margot Robbie), wakes up every morning, takes a waterless shower, drinks a coffee-less coffee, and heads out on the town to smile and acknowledge her fellow citizens (including Barbies played by Issa Rae, Dua Lipa, Alexandra Shipp, and Hari Nef) before returning home to host a massive dance party/sleepover for her best gal pals. Oh, and every now and then she glances Ken's (Ryan Gosling) way. The Kens (who are also legion and feature Simu Liu, Kingsley Ben-Adir, and... Rob Brydon(???) among others) are second-class citizens in Barbieland, afterthoughts and accessories in this matriarchal society. Gosling's Ken lives exclusively for two things: Beach (that's his job) and Barbie's attention. He's an Incel in the making... But we're getting ahead of ourselves.
The set-up is all winking gags and playful satire, as much a loving homage to childish play and the limits of plastic playsets as it is a social inversion. A smart way to establish things and a balance I'm sure was exhausting to strike between corporate and creative. But it all works! It's hilarious. It's ingenious. (And it will move merchandise without having to be an empty cash grab.) If the movie had just been that (the expected), it probably would have been an okay film. But that was only the first 15 minutes. Reality comes crashing through the non-existent walls of Barbieland when our main Barbie starts having intrusive thoughts about death. This throws her entire groove off and she begins to spiral. She is sent to Weird Barbie (Kate McKinnon, stellar as always), the lone representative of all the scribbled on and chopped up dolls out there and keeper of Earth knowledge, who sends her into the real world to confront the child playing with her before it's too late. Ken stows away in Barbie's convertible and the next thing you know they're both rollerblading through Venice Beach, trying to make sense of our loud, hostile universe. Both go through existential crises, with Barbie expanding her understanding of life and questioning her place in it while Ken is exposed to the patriarchy, creating a hunger for power and assertion that he quickly takes back to share with the other Kens.
Oh, and Will Ferrell is in there somewhere as the CEO of Mattel, doing Will Ferrell type stuff and frantically trying to get things under control. He's funny and kind of out of place in the film - a perfect way to capture the feeling of a massive toy company being involved in the making of a movie about one of its toys.
Again, Barbie is a lot. And it should be. The doll has been a pop culture icon for over 60 years. She has been beloved and been ridiculed and grown and regressed and has made bold statements and fallen short. Barbie is telling little girls (and boys) they can be anything, even when fostering unhealthy body image standards and encouraging rampant consumerism. The girl's got a lot of baggage, and some mighty ambitions. And Greta Gerwig is the perfect filmmaker to bring her to the screen. Her films have often been about women torn between generational standards, defiantly modern while finding plenty to admire in the old ways. Lady Bird McPherson compromises. Jo March compromises. Both are inspiring female characters who make huge independent strides before taking one small step back. I'm honestly surprised Gerwig hasn't caught more flack for this pattern. (I think both films are perfect, fyi, so I'm not encouraging flack.) Barbie is another film about confronting society and its expectations for women and acknowledging we are all a work in progress. It often feels like it's moving in too many directions at once, but that's also kind of the point. Life is overwhelming. And beautiful. And change is necessary. But it takes time. And it's okay to feel overwhelmed.
And it's okay to laugh. I keep getting off track, but let's get back to the fun of it all. When I say Ryan Gosling is this year's Ke Huy Quan... I mean it. If that dude doesn't walk away with all the supporting actor awards, I'll be shocked. He is so committed in this role of a chiseled, codependent dope who latches onto the first new worldview he is offered and provides the most broadly entertaining send-up of toxic masculinity I have ever seen while also making you feel bad for the guy. This is just as much Ken's movie as it is Barbie's. He's a victim of societal expectations. Conservatives are getting bent out of shape over this depiction, but it's such a sympathetic role. And Gosling is key to that. Just because you laugh at him and the rest of the Kens doesn't mean the pain doesn't come through loud and clear. The movie isn't anti-men. It's pro-equality. Choosing to present this idea through such pointed humor doesn't make it an attack. If anything, the film is playing nicer than it should.
But Gosling isn't alone, as far as quality performances go. There are about twelve MVPs in this cast, with only four or five character names between them. Margot Robbie was born for this role, a Barbie lookalike who has such a grasp of physical comedy and enough pathos to create dimension in a character that has never had any. (So many jobs, but no personality to speak of. Until now.) The way Robbie breaks down and rebuilds the character looks so effortless that one could overlook the immense work she's doing and the radical change Barbie is going through. But I bet if you pulled any still of Robbie from the film you could tell what stage of the arc she's in just from her face. As much as Ken resonates with Gosling, Barbie does with Robbie. Other standouts include Michael Cera as forgotten friend Allan, the aforementioned McKinnon as Weird Barbie (shocking the character didn't originate on SNL and a reminder of how much that show came out rely on her), and Rhea Perlman as the ghost of Ruth Handler, the creator of Barbie. It's yet another wild swing, but she is used so brilliantly and she gets the best and most emotionally devastating line in the film.
Barbie is the kind of big, complicated crowd-pleaser that doesn't come around all that often. Structurally, it will probably be compared to The Lego Movie or Enchanted, but to my great surprise it has more in common with Everything Everywhere All at Once. The corporate product of it all holds it back, but it has a similar heart. And it demands multiple viewings, as it too will have you wondering where it is going throughout the first watch, make you cry straight through the last 20 minutes, and leave you wondering how it ever got greenlit in the first place.
I can't wait to see it again. Which I would have done immediately, if it hadn't been for the other half of this cinematic portmanteau...
Part 2: -enheimer
Bomb complicated.
Politics corrupt.
McCarthyism bad.
I could stop there and you'd get the gist of Oppenheimer. But that would be unfair. Because while it may tread familiar biopic paths, it is also a Christopher Nolan movie. It will be grand. And immaculate. And feature an absolutely stacked cast. Cillian Murphy is bringing such conflict and conviction to the title role. Robert Downey, Jr. is doing the most restrained, slow-simmer acting of his life. And Emily Blunt is bringing a quiet rage that is underutilized (Nolan needs help writing women) but invaluable for the emotional stakes of the film. All three will be in talks this awards season, rare for a Nolan film, where the technical usually gets the attention.
Not that it isn't technically impressive, but it's grounded in historical events and significantly more linear (even while juggling three separate timelines) than his previous films. It's more traditional and more dialogue-driven, and thus relies more on performances and pacing. Performance it has. Pacing is where the issues come in.
The first half of the film is all ramp up. Nolan loves making you feel time, and it's at its best in this section as a team is assembled and the U.S. races to beat the Nazis to the bomb. It moves at the relentless click of the opening scenes of Batman Begins, threatening to leave you behind right up until the thing is in place. At which point everything slows down and the adrenaline subsides for a brief moment before detonation. Then there's awe. The majesty and the terror of that familiar cloud formation. And the jump scare of the boom. The test scene is maybe the greatest scene Nolan has ever crafted. He found a point in history that brings all of his best traits into sharp focus - spectacle, obsession, time - and built an entire film around it. It's worth seeing (on the biggest, loudest screen you can find) just for that moment.
It's the aftermath that doesn't quite work for me. We know what happens next with the atomic bomb, and the film wisely chooses not to show or recreate the explosions over Hiroshima or Nagasaki. It's respectful in that way, and in the way it keeps coming back to Oppenheimer's regrets, and the horrifying visions he sees, even if they do get a little heavy-handed towards the end. Nolan questions whether the bomb needed to be deployed - or made at all - on multiple occasions. It always finds an excuse, but the reflex is powerful.
What doesn't work is the long slide to the finish, during which Oppenheimer is put through various trials, his loyalties and motivations scrutinized because of his dabbling with the dreaded communism. Every courtroom scene comes soft hacky and unnecessary, and it offers nothing new to the lineage of Red Scare stories that came before it. These all culminate in minor plot twists that many viewers (who I suspect are more history-savvy than me) probably already knew about. My attention wained as soon as the bomb was operational, and there was no getting me back, no matter how many famous names were oh so clumsily dropped.
But if I'm being honest, I did spend a great deal of this film thinking about Barbie. Oppenheimer is a chatty film, but it doesn't have as much to say as it does to show. It took me an extra week to put out this review because I thought I'd come up with something more to say. But in the end I would rather focus on Barbie. That's where my passion was. Oppie is a cautionary tale, and a grand spectacle. But Barbie lingers.
In the end...
She's everything. He's just Death, the destroyer of worlds.
Barbie: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Oppenheimer: ⭐⭐⭐
The experience: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
No comments:
Post a Comment