Animals - especially dogs, Flowers, summer

Barbenheimer: Barbie vs. Oppenheimer

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This was a big weekend for us as we went to two movies—Barbie   and Oppenheimer. Would there be a victor in this match-up? Would one movie triumph over the other? Yes and yes, but before I write about the two films, I have to comment about the weather.

Before climate change really got ripping, weather was considered a boring subject discussed by folks who didn’t have much to say. (Those whose livelihood depended on the weather certainly must have disagreed.) But now, with torrential rain and raging fires, record floods and droughts, talking about the weather can no longer be considered boring.

For the past two months, the Northeast has had nonstop rain, with destructive results, which I described in my previous post. Central Maine, where we live, was spared much of the destruction, but as we watched the water pour from our rooves and gutters, we wondered if summer was ever going to come our way.

This weekend, at long last, Summer decided to show her pretty face. The sun shone, the temperature was pleasantly hot, and best of all, the humidity was low. We had lunches and dinners on the patio. A friend came over for wine, cheese, and crackers. The lilies and bee balm were in glorious bloom, and water murmured in the little blue fountain. The cat from across the street came over for a visit.

Welcome, Summer! We certainly hope to see more of you in August, which traditionally has been one of Maine’s finest months.

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Watching

Movies: Barbie vs. Oppenheimer

Two more different movies could not go head to head. Barbie, as the title suggests, is about the doll that so many folks have mixed feelings about. Oppenheimer centers on the man who led the project to develop the atom bomb during World War II. People have mixed feelings about him as well. Maybe Barbie and Oppenheimer have more in common than it seems at first glance.

Some moviegoers decided to make Barbie and Oppenheimer a double feature, but with Oppenheimer clocking in at three hours, we thought it would be best to see them on different days: Barbie on Saturday and Oppenheimer on Sunday.

Here’s a brief description of each movie, with the winner announced at the end.

Barbie

As I child, I played with Barbie, and although I understand the objections—her ridiculous body, the focus on consumption—I have no personal animus toward her. As soon as I left childhood, I left Barbie behind, and as an adult, I have no particular interest in the doll. This is a long way of saying that a movie about Barbie is not necessarily in my wheelhouse.

However, my interest was piqued when I learned that Greta Gerwig was the director. I am a huge fan of Greta Gerwig, and Lady Bird, her directorial debut, is one of my favorite movies. If you haven’t seen this wonderful coming-of-age story, I strongly recommend that you do.

So how was this movie about Barbie? As to be expected, it was silly and fun, camp and completely over the top. There is not a subtle moment in this film where Barbie deals with disruptions in her perfect life when the real world intrudes on Barbie Land.

But, as to be expected of the director Greta Gerwig, the film was also a sharp commentary about women’s role in society, and the relationship between men and women. I found the ending extremely poignant, to the point where there were tears in my eyes. That’s quite a lot to get out of a Barbie movie.

The casting—especially Margot Robbie as Barbie and Ryan Gosling as Ken—was perfect, and there wasn’t a false note in Barbie.

Oppenheimer

First the good: The acting was excellent as was the make-up and the score. The bomb scene was so powerful it made me jump. Cillian Murphy, with his chiseled cheek bones and intense eyes, was terrific as Oppenheimer, and Robert Downy Jr.—far, far from his role as Iron Man—nearly stole the show.

I particularly liked the dreamy yet bright visualizations as Oppenheimer theorized about black holes. And even though I’m not exactly a physics enthusiast, I got a kick out of seeing a movie that featured Eisenstein, Neils Bohr, and Werner Heisenberg. No uncertainty about this at all.

But—and it’s a big but—too much material was covered, from Oppenheimer’s younger days at university to becoming a professor to his work on the bomb to the smear campaign against him afterwards. Ironically, the movie felt too long yet not long enough to really delve into Oppenheimer’s eventful life. I think the material would have been better served by being a series where Oppenheimer’s life could have been explored at greater length in shorter chunks.

Despite its flaws, this ambitious movie is worth seeing, and I expect Oppenheimer will collect many Academy Award nominations.

And the winner is…

Barbie, which was not a minute too long and did everything it set out to do. It was a perfect combination of fun and pointed observations about femininity and masculinity.

 

 

 

 

82 thoughts on “Barbenheimer: Barbie vs. Oppenheimer”

  1. Wow ! Barbie for the win. That’s a surprise. I’m not a movie theater goer. (My introverted sensibilities are far to easily overwhelmed by the noise and the dark atmosphere with the bright screen, I have recently realized.) But if/when they come out so I can watch them from home, I will let you know if I agree. lol

  2. Your summer flowers and photos are lovely. Thanks too, for the movie reviews…it’s a shame about the Oppenheimer movie being so long, as you say a series might have been better..
    Enjoy your sunshine..🌞🌞

  3. Wow, I am beyond impressed that you and Clif went to both those movies in one weekend! Thanks for the reviews. Now the big question is whether we’ll go to either of them. Maybe Oppenheimer. Maybe! 😊

  4. I’m glad you’re seeing some sunshine and flowers, and getting some outdoor time.
    I’m not a “go to the movies” gal (only twice in the last 12 years!), but I do stream them at home on my tablet. Thanks for the reviews, though.

  6. Thanks for the film reviews, Laurie. I’ve been wondering about these two films. Apparently, Barbie is getting a lot of press.
    I keep hoping all the rain is behind us with blue skies ahead, but it rained another 1/2″ this afternoon. It feels like we’re living a rainy version of ‘Groundhog Day!’ Our roads are a mess, so many washouts, it will be months before many are passable.

      1. Thanks, Laurie, at least our road is passable, some folks are stranded in their homes, or unable to reach their houses after their road washed out. Our eroded edges and potholes seem not so bad … it’s all relative!

      2. Eliza, I’m sorry to hear things are so bad where you live. I’ve been reading about Italy this morning where half the country is experiencing gales and flooding while the other half is on fire with sky-high temps. Our poor planet. My heart is with you.

      6. Yeah, it’s not good. They have to park and walk at least a mile to get home and out again to work or shop. And its raining again. Holy cats is right!

      8. Good news, I heard this morning that the road boss made their road a priority and now it is passable. I’m sure they are very relieved!

  7. I’m glad your weather has taken a turn for the better. Would be a shame to experience these wonderful months without being able to do the things you enjoy most.

  8. Interesting reviews. I, too played with Barbie as a kid, and actually still have a fairly rare red pony tail barbie from ’64. Why the heck didn’t I take better care of it? It could have been worth way more with the original clothes!
    Here’s an article about the other movie I thought you might be interested in.
    https://www.businessinsider.com/women-manhattan-project-christopher-nolan-oppenheimer-completely-ignored-2023-7

    First eggplant ready to pick! Yay,
    Julie

    1. Yes, I am interested in that article. Thanks for sending the link. Oppenheimer is definitely a man’s movie, which I have read is typical for that director. Women definitely get short shrift in Oppenheimer. If it been a series there would have been time to focus on some of the women who worked on the project.

  9. I’ve caught up now. Grilled bread, movies and a beautiful if wet summer in Maine. Your gardens are very lovely, and I always enjoy seeing that fine red house. I am glad to see your kitty visitor is still coming over. Someday, we shall meet!

  10. I hope you don’t mind if I share your review with the group of ladies I’m trying to get together to see Barbie. I intend to see Oppenheimer eventually, but now, as I observe the first anniversary of my husband’s death, I need a little silliness and joy.

  11. I’m glad you finally got a helping of the kind of summer day you enjoy. And you are definitely making good use of your movie passes. I haven’t been to a movie theater for at least 10 years…

  12. I loved Barbie too – and like you am a big fan of Greta Gerwig (have you seen Frances Ha?). The film festival is starting and we are off to something this weekend so might not get to Oppenheimer for a while – but might wait for it to become available online.

    1. I have seen Frances Ha and liked it very much. Enjoy that film festival! We have one in a small city not far from here, and it is so much fun to see such a wide range of movies that often don’t come to theaters near us.

  14. Thank you for the film reviews, I have sent a link to my daughter. I’m so glad to know Barbie has an intelligent, relevant portrayal.

    1. My pleasure! I could have written so much more about this movie, which has some very interesting themes. But I didn’t want to give any spoilers.

  16. You know I’m not into movies but I am impressed at you going twice in onw weekend! On the other hand I am interested in hearing about weather patterns. Sun must be very welcome. We had a heatwave and very long dry spell in June and July has been cloudy and wet, very miserable. I read of heatwaves and wildfires, deluges and floods and nowhere seems to be having ‘usual’ weather – but still Climate change is a myth or can be ignored a while longer! I shall have to give even more serious thought to adaptability and resilience.

    1. We are a family of movie buffs. We have gone to film festivals and have watched as many as 30 in one week. 😉 Weather patterns couldn’t be more important right now. Everywhere is crazy. Last night, we had a thunderstorm in central Maine. It rained moderately heavy in our town. Twenty-five miles away, the rain came down so hard that there were flash floods, and roads were washed out. Wind blew over trees and knocked power out. Yikes! At this point, anyone who thinks climate change is a myth is being willfully ignorant.

  17. Your flowers are looking beautiful, I’m glad you had a fun family weekend at the movies, and that you enjoyed them both. I was a constant movie goer in my younger days but must admit I don’t go very often these days so thanks for the good reviews.

  18. Beautiful flowers. Enjoy summer. Thanks for the film reviews. Barbie was not my list but I shall think about Oppenheimer 😁

  20. I want to see Barbie but will have to go with my daughter as I doubt my husband will get through it without huffing and puffing (aka spoiling it for me), I know she’s going with some friends so I’ll try to muscle in on the outing if I can,
    As for Oppenheimer – not sure I’m in the mood for such a dark theme at the moment and I’ve yet to sit through a 3 hour film without nodding off at some point (apart from Gone With The Wind)

  21. Laurie, you write excellent reviews. I agree with your assessment of Barbie (we both loved it), but like Lynn, I’m having second thoughts just now about Oppenheimer’s subject matter. The fact that its an excellent film, I fear it will haunt me for days. Did it affect you that way?

    On the brighter side, I’m so happy you’re getting some real summer days. Your blooms are gorgeous and so is the visiting kitty.

    Back to Greta Gerwig for a moment, she writes, directs, and acts, and did both the writing and directing for Lady Bird, the updated Little Women, and now Barbie. I’m looking forward to what she’s does next.

    1. Thanks so much, Alys! No, Oppenheimer didn’t affect me that way. Christopher Nolan, the director, is somewhat detached, and the story didn’t hit me in the gut the way it might have had the director been warmer.

      Next on Gerwig’s list is Narnia. Looking forward to seeing it. As I wrote in my piece, I am a huge fan.

  22. What pretty flowers you have! Central Illinois is one of those “hot spots” with temps in the 90s and above right now. My flowers are droopy, despite regular watering (perhaps they like Mother Nature’s rain better than my garden hose??). Thanks for your impressions about the two movies. I haven’t seen either one, though my son saw Oppenheimer and enjoyed it a lot. I suspect if I go to one of them, that will be my choice, too.

  23. The power of blogging. I had planned to see Oppenheimer and had no plans to see Barbie and now I’m wondering, if I were to only watch one…whether it might not be Barbie after all.

  24. Great reviews! We saw them both, and I liked Oppenheimer a little bit better, but I’m also a huge history buff and didn’t have many barbies growing up, so there’s that 🙂

    1. Many thanks! Yes, I’m sure Oppenheimer was the perfect movie for a history buff. My main complaint, as I’m sure you gathered from the review, is that it tried to cover too much material for even a three-hour movie. Even so, I thought it was a good movie.

      1. It did cover A LOT. I’d say that would be one of my few complaints was the length. It’s hard to sit in a theater that long!

  25. I am glad that summer has finally arrived. I hope that it sticks around for a bit. The movies sound interesting but I may be too old and grumpy for Barbie and just too old to sit for three hours.

  26. Lol. Barbie beat Oppenheimer? I would never have guessed. I’m glad you had fun and glad you didn’t see them back to back. Wishing you a wonderful arrival of summer and an end to the rain, Laurie. Your garden looks beautiful.

  27. I’m glad you haven’t been affected by the flooding. Your flowers are certainly happy, as has been my garden. It’s been since the Lord of the Rings that I’ve seen a movie coming in at 3 hours. A lot of the time I won’t watch something that comes in at 2. But Lord of the Rings didn’t seem long, if I recall, but my rear end was sore…I imagine Oppenheimer would be good, though. As for Barbie, I’m intrigued because of the messages. Even as a child I found dolls kind of creepy, so never played with them (I still do; had to take one off a bed in a guest room recently and put it in the closet for my time there). And Barbie, with her permanently deformed feet, was singularly unappealing. Still, Gerwig is interesting and has a viewpoint that is skewed, trenchant, and refreshing all at once. You may have convinced me to see it…

    1. Our little town has escaped flooding, but last night there was a terrible thunder storm, and twenty-five miles away there was flashing flooding and road destruction and power
      outages. Yikes!

      Three hours is a long movie. Ironically, Oppenheimer felt too long and not long enough. Lord of the Rings is in its own category. 😉

      I was drawn to the movie, Barbie because of its director, Greta Gerwig. Might not have gone to see it otherwise. Barbies’s deformed feet are a big feature in the movie. If you do decide to see the movie, I sure would be interested in hearing what you think about it.

  29. Thank you for sharing your thoughts about both movies! If I were able to go to the movies, I would choose to watch Barbie due to its length. I cannot go three hours without pushing pause and going to the bathroom!! But so glad to hear that you enjoyed both overall 🙂 And your summer flowers! Gorgeous!

    1. Both are very much worth seeing. Three hours is indeed very long. Nice thing about watching it at home is that you can indeed push the pause button and take a bathroom break.

  31. Sounds like it was a fabulous weekend and love the photos!!🙂 I have to admit to being very puzzled about how these two movies became intertwined, even if they were released the same weekend. I’ve been disappointed to see how long some of the recent movie releases have been and miss the days when movies were under two hours. Thanks for the great reviews and I’ll be watching both when they’re released on streaming.🙂

  32. I love your commentary, Laurie, and your thumbs up for Barbie. (I loved it too, and all of Gerwig’s work.) Oppenheimer is next for me (although I won’t wear pink).

    Your flowers above are splendid. And I’ll take this moment to celebrate an earlier post where you shared the Delights from your week. (Thanks for the mention!) The Cider Company sounds and looks magnificent, and so close to your house. And friends, and a visiting cat, and ferns — all between raindrops. You made the sun shine.

    1. Many, many thanks! Gerwig is, think, one of her generation’s great directors. Will be interested in hearing what you think about Oppenheimer.

  35. Your daylilies look very fine. I smiled because you’re the first person I know who has seen both films. I admire the hype around them, but the conjunction is very strange.

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