Barbenheimer is finally here! The cinematic phenomenon that has taken over social media left a crater in the box office; no other movie will top them. What does this mean for the future of movie-going? Letâs get into it.
Barbie has been toy property for close to seventy years. The first ever adult woman doll has been seen as a feminist icon and a stain on the cause in equal measure. It was no wonder that Greta Gerwig snatched at the opportunity to bring her to the big screen. Sure, there has been cartoon films sold on home video. But never was there an attempt at a live action movie, until now. From the outset of trailers, the impressions of a campy farce werenât too off.
After an homage to 2001, we are whisked away to Barbie Land. A womenâs utopia, all positions of power are run by the Barbies. As she has been leaders in the real world as toys, so she does in her own world. And the Kens just live in it, adoring them and fostering every whim. All seems right, until one Barbie begins to think of death. Existentialism creeps in, a bit heavy for a toy.
After an excursion to the real world, a series of events prove harmful for both Barbies and Kens. The less said the better, however the message rings true even if it is rung at a deafening peal. Greta writes as if she is speaking to children who have grown up, keeping her message simple. The cast is more than game. Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling have comic chemistry down to a science. Issa Rae and Simu Liu have stand out performances. And Michael Cera gets the most laugh as Allan, Kenâs buddy. With immaculate set design and cinematography, Barbieâs world is one we want to live in. A cinephilesâ delight; references from Stanley Donen to Jacques Demy abound. There is a misstep with Will Ferrell as CEO of Mattel which could have gone further. But in the end it is a bait and switch; the real villain here are poisonous ideas. As one character says, âHumans only have one ending; ideas live forever.â Dress that psalm in pink and musical numbers and you have a hit.
From one blonde bombshell to the man who ushered in the atomic age, Oppenheimer is the twelfth feature from director Christopher Nolan. Not afraid of heady topics himself, Nolan makes the most of three hours disclosing the life of this very complicated man. From his time studying at Cambridge to his later years, the stage set is epic. Never a dull moment, Cillian Murphy electrifies the screen. Some scenes just contain his face, imparting the struggle of achieving the impossible then realizing its dangers.
The cast is stacked from end of end; Florence Pugh as flame Jean Tatlock, Gary Oldman as Truman, Robert Downey Jr. You never know who will come up next. In a pivotal moment Emily Blunt as wife Kitty squares up against a prosecutor played by Jason Clarke, one that I will not soon forget.
Nolan claims there was no CGI used for any of the atomic sequences. If so, that is beyond impressive. One scene post-Hiroshima left me horrified. I suspect some may latch on to the sentiments by the end; reminders that the Cold War is not too distant. These movies are ultimately about bigger concepts; important milestones that we as audience members care about. That is hopefully the lesson Hollywood takes from their success. Make films we will obsess over and let creators flourish and we will always have good viewings.
