The faster lane / Tyler Brûlé
Dolled up
As far as temporary cultural urban interventions go, it’s hard to beat a night at the Allianz Cinema along the shores of Lake Zürich. When it comes to an exercise in branding and advertising, I can’t think of money better spent by a company to create both a seasonal sense of occasion and community. If you have not experienced the Zürich version of Allianz’s cinema installation, it’s not only a serious feat in engineering (it’s only up for a few weeks) but also everything you could want from a summer evening. Picture a lakeside venue that rises from the shore and is surrounded by terraces at various levels for drinking and dining. Above the projection booth, there’s an enormous platform for VIPs and close friends of Allianz where the champagne and wine flow, tasty bites are offered before the show and tall fridges are stocked with beer and various beverages that are free for the taking. In the background, the snowy peaks of the Alps are a soft pink as the sun starts to set while in the middle distance, there are splashes of dusty rose and hot flashes of fuchsia worn by attendees looking for their seats. In the row in front of us, some girls in their early 20s have gently tinted their locks in a colour that’s likely called Napa rosé on the bottle. Yes, dear reader, we’re not only enjoying a gorgeous, high-summer evening in Switzerland – it’s also the opening night of Barbie! In case you haven’t seen it yet, I have some observations and also a few questions:
1
First question, when was the last time you went to the cinema? Second question, when was the last time you went to a cinema where the attendees made a conscious effort to get into the spirit of the film? Rocky Horror Picture Show and Sing-a-Long a Sound of Music aside, I can’t recall such a movie-going moment in recent history. Top marks to the marketing machines at Warner Bros and Mattel for rallying people to get out of their streaming comas and out to the cinema.
2
I managed to avoid reading all the pre-press and reviews so I didn’t quite know what I was getting myself into. 48 hours later, I’m still trying to decode the film. Is it a cultural marker? Was it trying to do too much? Should I watch it a second time? Would I recommend it to others? Maybe even readers of this column? Keep reading.
3
If you’re fatigued by Hollywood’s ongoing diversity and inclusion push then you’ll find parts of the film annoying and rather forced. Is some of it attempting to be ironic while still covering all bases of political correctness? Debatable. I have been left wondering if Barbie will be remembered as a unique summer 2023 production as a result of trying to force too many uniquely American political and identity themes onto a global audience.
4
On the topic of diversity, here’s a fun fact. The three male leads from ‘Barbieland’ are all Canadian.
5
Add Margot Robbie to the mix and you suddenly have a Commonwealth powerhouse that should make a very strong case for why the Games should go on. If Australia doesn’t host them then another nation should pick up the honour. Canada? Your turn again? It has been a while.
6
There’s not as much product placement as you might expect from a film that has grown from a product range built on conspicuous consumption. Birkenstock gets a few close-ups and laughs and Chanel manages to shine in all the right places but I was left wondering why the Barbie franchise hadn’t upgraded from General Motors when it came to four-wheel transport.
7
Warner Bros and Mattel should be applauded for refraining from glorifying the use of firearms. Moreover, there should be a special Oscar handed out for not promoting tattoos to people too young to know better. I don’t recall seeing any inked biceps, necks or thighs.
8
The Dua Lipa dance routine is worth mastering in time for the company Christmas party. Book a recital hall, gather your work colleagues and start practicing.
9
Go see it. It’s not as silly as it could have been. There could have been a few more belly laughs but, as we know, it’s hard to be funny these days. Nevertheless, it’s ambitious, optimistic and just might make you go blonde for a few weeks this summer.
