I haven’t really seen any actual film critics weighing in on Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie,” which I’m finally set to catch this evening. The review embargo lifts tomorrow afternoon.
What I will say is that, based on the early Twitter reactions out there, and the people I’ve spoken to, the dreaded “woke” word will be used plenty of times by detractors in describing Gerwig’s “Barbie.” It’s absolutely, inevitably going to happen. You can bank on it
First actual opinion from a critic, Doug Dillaman, is mixed but he really liked Margot Robbie’s performance, via his Letterboxd:
I had a vague idea of what to expect from this movie but it did not include "if you take a tequila shot every time the word 'patriarchy' is mentioned you will die". Not gonna rate this because it's officially embargoed and not sure if I would bother anyway, because it will probably be the most divisive movie of 2023 and I had an internally divided reaction, but it's certainly something and geez am I glad I'm off Twitter for the discourse. Oscar nom for Margot Robbie please?
It’s quite obvious Mattel/Warner are trying, very hard, not to have “Barbie” labeled as a “feminist” movie, but, once this puppy gets released, you can probably expect a firestorm to occur.
They’ve played it very well, so far. A $100+ million 3-day opening is expected for Gerwig’s film. Audiences don’t know what to expect with this movie and that’s exactly what Mattel/Warner wanted.
Robbie Brenner, Mattel Films’ first-ever movie producer and “the architect of its cinematic universe,” told Time that “Barbie” was “not a feminist movie.” The film’s star, Margot Robbie, responded by saying “It’s not that it is, or it isn’t. It’s a movie. It’s a movie that’s got so much in it.”
Actor Simu Liu, who plays one of the many Kens in the upcoming “Barbie” movie, said the film will put the “final nail in the coffin of that very heteronormative idea of what gender is.”
Feminist or not, all I want for “Barbie” to be is a good movie. It has the talent to back it up. The great Rodrigo Prieto lensed the film. Noah Baumbach wrote the screenplay with Gerwig. Mark Ronson (not Desplat) composed the score. What more do you want?
Then there’s Gerwig, she’s coming off the critically-acclaimed “Lady Bird” and “Little Women.” She’s also this great indie actress, although she seems to have quit the acting field for a big-studio career behind the camera.
