Barbie

This was an _excellent_ film that left me emotionally stretched in just the right way. It's an adult movie with childhood references (not a kids' film at all), and seems pitched at people roughly my age (Matchbox 20 referenced as a track for wooing is too close for comfort!) It _superbly_ voices the internal contradictions women need to navigate to be accepted. It works hard not to centre Ken, even while his role is a critical counterpoint, but also gives a little airtime to how much a male-dominated world makes it hard to be a man too. The writing is out of this world, the pacing is spot on, and Margot Robbie utterly _nails_ the role — especially the emotional and physical aspects of being a doll in a way that playfully nods to the many ways that children play with Barbie. It's a wonderful film that I'd encourage everyone to see. It's _hard_ to watch, as a man—feeling responsible for so many challenges women face—but Barbie doesn't judge, it voices. It's a message that informs me, helps me, as well as entertaining me, but it isn't meant for _me_; the extent to which Yvette felt seen, understood and perfectly spoken on behalf of _is_ this movie, and why it deserves all the praise it's getting. Originally posted at: https://www.byjp.me/posts/reviews/movies/barbie/