Barbie is an anomaly, a force of nature, and could potentially be some sort of trendsetter in ways I can't quite fathom yet. I never expected a good Barbie movie to exist, especially not one that is so poignant and rich with satire, ambition, and intellect. But, this movie isn't just good - it's fantastic.

Choosing to make "facade" one of the primary focuses of the film was probably the most brilliant thing that writer/director Greta Gerwig could have done, because it allows the movie to function as a wholly progressive and often quite meta experience. Though the movie only goes back and forth between Barbie Land and "reality", I felt as if I traversed through 5 or 6 different dimensions throughout the course of the film. The movie has so many layers, I'm not even sure how Gerwig made it work - maybe it was luck, maybe it was an incredibly talented cast & crew, or maybe she's just a genius.

What's most important is that the movie is hilarious, all the way through. There weren't many segments where a giant smile was not plastered across my face. Though the choices for comedic roles could be perceived as cliche, all of them murdered the game with their characters, that being Michael Cera as Allan, Kate McKinnon as Weird Barbie, and of course Will Ferrell as the CEO of Mattel. But, it's Ryan Gosling that truly steals the show as the funniest part of the entire film. Of course, it's the brilliant writing that allows it, but Gosling's commitment to bringing to life one of the greatest exaggerations of masculinity I have ever seen put to screen is diamond-level. The way the movie spotlights parallels between straight-guy masculinity and gayness, as both a joke and an astute observation, is incredible and done in a way I've never seen pulled off before.

It should be said that what allows a comedy to transcend the bone-headed standards that the genre usually plants itself in, is a script that actually has something to say, from the heart and from the brain. I figured it would poke fun at certain gender tropes and politics, but I didn't expect Barbie to be full of so much existential philosophy. At times it almost felt like Charlie Kaufman LITE, but in a GOOD WAY. Though most of the film is full of laughs, it also has several segments that will suddenly take you to realms of sheer reflection and a surprising amount of emotional resonance. I think a lot of people had to get over an "am I about to cry at a Barbie movie?" hump, but...I want you to know that you should cry at this movie! It's both nostalgic and totally ahead of its time at the same time. It's actually a very serious and important film underneath all the pink & the laughs.

And on that note, it's not surprising that so many dudes are already calling it a horrible movie and overly woke feminist propaganda, but it's definitely lame of them, and in my opinion, wrong. I think a lot of these people are missing a lot of the points and the jokes. Though on the surface the movie seems to be poking most fun at men, it pokes just as much fun at femininity, society, and the human experience as a whole. It has a lot of critical things to say about all of them. Plus, if you can't laugh at your own kind, especially when it's done so articulately, with so much love, I really think you're doing it all wrong.

It comes as no surprise that Margot Robbie carries the film wonderfully. The soundtrack is also a ton of fun. But the most exciting part here, "as a fan of the cinema", is knowing that this is going to take Greta Gerwig to the absolute top of the totem pole. She's been such an interesting, tasteful, and likable multi-faceted presence, between acting, writing, and directing, and I'm very curious and excited to see what she does with her power after this.