For those who have worked with marketing like me, it’s nice to see a joint strategy for the launch of ‘Barbie’ and ‘Oppenheimer’, nicknamed “Barbheimer”. At first, it looked like it would be a fight, but then someone realized that these two releases, together, were an opportunity to lure audiences back to theaters, in the best “Which are you going to see first?” style. This has become especially effective because, with the heat in the northern hemisphere, entering an air-conditioned movie theater also seems to be a very attractive option. I’ve already seen the two films, which are showing in theaters here in Brazil. See what I thought of each of them here.
Barbie
I’ve been hearing about a Barbie movie for a long time. First with Anne Hathaway, then with Amy Schumer (!). But the project ended up only working out with Margot Robbie and director Greta Gerwig. Contrary to what many people expect, it is not a movie for children. It is a comedy that has social criticism, and is aimed at adults who have a history of caring for the doll in their past.
It all starts in Barbieland. There is the magical world of Barbies, where all versions of the doll live in complete harmony, and their only concerns are finding the best clothes to go out with their friends. However, one of the dolls (Margot Robbie) begins to realize that maybe her life isn’t so perfect. Soon, she decides to go out in search of answers in the real world, alongside Ken (Ryan Gosling), who seems increasingly fascinated by life in the new world. Meanwhile, Barbie struggles to adjust and has to deal with several less than colorful moments.
The film shows a social critique of the position of women, but in a very light. It also criticizes Mattel, the maker of Barbie and co-producer of the film, companies run exclusively by men and society’s machismo. Everything is carried out with sweetness, humor and intelligence. The film is also full of references. They range from the obvious ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ (the beginning) to the Jacques Demy films (especially ‘Two Romantic Girls’). also has a lot of ‘Grease’, from the Busby Berkeley and Gene Kelly musicals. Yes, there are (extremely fun) musical moments with Ryan Gosling. By the way, Ryan surprised me very positively in this film. It’s fun, no strings attached.
But, of course, the film is Margot’s. She makes everything look easy (as always, by the way). She is the perfect Barbie, which even yields an exceptional joke coming from the narrator, none other than Helen Mirren. Margot carries the film with lightness and charm, which provides an instant empathy with the audience.
Oppenheimer
The film is directed by Christopher Nolan. It tells the story of the inventor of the atomic bomb, J. Robert Oppenheimer. Its basis is the Pulitzer Prize-winning biographical book ‘American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer’ by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin. The film follows the life of the theoretical physicist at the University of California who became the director of the Los Alamos Laboratory during the Manhattan Project – which had the mission of designing and building the first atomic bombs. The plot takes place in different timelines, following the beginning of Oppenheimer’s involvement with the project. And also the long process of developing the nuclear weapon that was responsible for the tragedies in the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Oppenheimer also portrays what happened after the event – and how the physicist’s life was turned upside down.
It’s obvious that Christopher Nolan is a great director. But unlike his masterpiece, Dunkirk (available on HBO Max), the timelines of Oppenheimer are confusing – and too long. The film is 3 hours long. And I warn you that the first hour is very boring, full of technical details and “a million” characters that enter and leave the scene. In the next two hours, when Oppenheimer heads to Los Alamos to start building the bomb, does the big test in the desert (the best part), and the ensuing chaos of his life and career, things flow much more efficiently.
Eliane Munhoz
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