“Barbie” Kicks Butt at the Box Office Plus, “Oppenheimer” & More Movies

by Chris Narloch

Movie hype being what it is, you would think that the only films in theaters currently are the latest “Mission Impossible,” “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer.” Believe it or not, there are several other worthwhile (even wonderful) movies in release, and Outword is here to break it all down for you.

Barbie

Hometown girl Greta Gerwig (“Ladybird”) has another cinematic home run under her belt with the director’s latest, a surprisingly subversive take on all things Barbie that is funny, feminist, and fantastic.

Along with her talented partner, the filmmaker Noah Baumbach, Gerwig has fashioned a smart script that alternately celebrates and spoofs the Barbie phenomenon with a layered approach that should appeal to young girls, adult women, gay men (and even straight men who are fans of one of the most beautiful and talented actresses of her generation, Margot Robbie).

Robbie is the perfect choice to play the title character, but the real surprise here is how funny and committed Ryan Gosling is as Ken. (All the haters who said the actor was wrong or too old to play Ken are going to have to eat their words now that the movie is out.)

In the movie’s Barbieland, the Barbies have the power, and the Kens are hunky accessories, until Robbie’s Barbie has an existential crisis that requires her to journey to the “real world,” where the Barbies unfortunately do not have all the power.

A subplot involving America Ferrera’s character and her daughter is generic, but most of the movie is fresh and very clever, and I loved the candy-colored production design and costume design, which turns the male characters into the sex objects for a change.

Oppenheimer

Sacramento moviegoers are blessed indeed to have one of only 30 locations worldwide with the capability to play the 600-pound IMAX 70mm reel necessary to present Christopher Nolan’s latest film in the format that he recommends you see it in.

I am talking about one of Sacramento’s cinematic jewels: the Esquire IMAX Theatre on K Street, which is one of only 19 locations in the U.S. screening “Oppenheimer” in true IMAX 70mm.

So how is the movie itself? Well, a three-hour film about the history of the atom bomb isn’t for everyone, and I think the first two hours are too dialogue-driven and drawn out. The last hour, however, is dynamite, and Nolan has assembled a fantastic cast.

The great Cillian Murphy may finally get the recognition he deserves after his towering performance as Robert Oppenheimer in this film, and there are at least half a dozen Oscar-worthy actors in the movie, including Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, Florence Pugh, Jason Clarke, and especially Robert Downey Jr., who does his best work in ages as the movie’s villain.

My advice is to go see the movie and make up your own mind about it. I didn’t agree with all of Nolan’s choices, but the director is swinging for the fences here, and when he pulls the story together in the last third of the movie, it’s something to see.

Theater Camp

Funnyman Ben Platt shines in this laugh-out-loud comedy about the eccentric staff members of an upstate New York theater camp, who must band together when their beloved founder falls into a coma.

Since that founder is played by Amy Sedaris, the hilarious sister of David Sedaris, you know you’re in for a real treat. Of course, theater queens will especially love “Theater Camp,” but the jokes and sight gags come so fast and furious that I have a feeling this movie will appeal to a broader audience than that. (In other words, anyone who appreciates a funny film should enjoy it.)

“Theater Camp” opened at Sacramento’s Tower Theatre on July 21st.

The Miracle Club

There’s just one dream for the women of Ballygar, a village in County Galway, Ireland: to win a pilgrimage to the sacred French town of Lourdes. With a little benevolent interference from their local priest, a group of close friends get the ticket of a lifetime.

Set in 1967, “The Miracle Club” follows the story of three generations of close friends, and since two of those friends are played by Dame Maggie Smith and Kathy Bates, this film is automatically a must-see if only for its performances, which are uniformly excellent.

Throw in Laura Linney as the “black-sheep” daughter of those ladies’ late friend, and you have drama to die for. Sweet and moving, “The Miracle Club” is also slight and somewhat predictable. But as an excuse to watch three of the world’s finest actresses strut their stuff, I’ll take it. “The Miracle Club” was still playing at Tower Theatre as we went to press.