Director/Actress Greta Gerwig seals her place as one of our time's cleverest filmmakers. In Barbie, Gerwig fashions a story that manages to both lampoon and celebrate the iconic doll, raising consciousness while delivering laugh out loud lines and situations. Margot Robbie makes a perfect Barbie, finding her way from Barbie land to the real world in a journey with echos of The Wizard of Oz and Pinocchio. She's the doll who wants to be a real girl. Ryan Gosling turns Barbie's boyfriend Ken into a punchline with a message. Barbie gives movie fans both enjoyment and conversation long after the credits. I miss the days when movies made their way into almost every conversation almost every week. Thanks, Barbie, for bringing that back. A shout out to America Ferrara, who plays a Mattel executive and cues up a stirring monologue. I remembered America's wonderful turn in Real Women Have Curves and the echos of that story in Greta Gerwig's Ladybird. Kharma is a wonderful thing.
