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Greta Gerwig has been good for Noah Baumbach’s career, and vice versa. I did not like Baumbach’s own films until he started co-writing them with Gerwig, who also stars in movies like Frances Ha and Mistress America. Now, Gerwig is seemingly more focused on her directing career, which, um, is going well. She just directed Barbie, which she co-wrote with Baumbach. It’s a massive hit. It’s earwormed a classic ‘90s rock song into my head for days. It’s a mess. It’s a delight. The viewing experience is as varied as the shades of pink in the film.
It was funny, and a little annoying, how many parents had brought little kids to my screening, what with it being a PG-13 movie that clearly was not, like, just a Barbie romp. There are many positives to the film. It’s very funny. The movie looks amazing. It should get some technical nominations, if not wins, from the Academy. Gerwig should probably get a Best Director nomination as well. Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling give strong performances. Will Ferrell is bringing fun absurdity like in his heyday. The highs of Barbie are sky high.
On the other hand, Gerwig’s reach exceeds her grasp. Not only is it aesthetically stuffed, it’s thematically a bit overstuffed. The movie is trying to make points, some of them astute, some of them half baked. Towards the end, it delves into ‘80s sitcom-level Battle of the Sexes stuff. That both fits and doesn’t fit. There is only one element of the film that bothers me, a bit of “girlboss gaslighting” that I think probably hit in a way Gerwig didn’t intend, but it led to a hilarious fight scene turned funnier dance scene turned climax. Hey, I love Seinfeld. I can enjoy something even if not every plot point is ethically sound.
Barbie’s success is intriguing, and earned. This is the best Barbie movie I could envision. I wonder what it means for Gerwig, whose directorial efforts have gotten increasingly large-scale and grandiose. I’d love another Lady Bird, but maybe Gerwig becomes a defining blockbuster director instead. If so, let’s not take that for granted.
