The idea of a “sturdy feminine character” has developed over time. What first started as a push to create extra multifaceted girls onscreen appeared to offer rise to feminine characters who a) did not require a love curiosity and/or b) wielded some form of weapon and kicked a number of butt. And, contemplating there wasn’t a number of that beforehand, it was admittedly actually superior to see.
Now we have reached some extent the place we’re searching for extra layered feminine characters. Quite a lot of girls who might be messy, empowered, sort, weak, and, sure, maintain their very own towards the Captain Americas and Luke Skywalkers in a combat. Mainly, we’re searching for variety.
Margot Robbie, together with director Greta Gerwig, delivered this in spades with Barbie, a pink explosion of all types of femininity, from the traditional to the bizarre. In 2023, it was a breath of contemporary air, and Robbie’s Stereotypical Barbie went on an arc that spoke to girls — and even folks of different genders — all over the place.
That is why it is a bit disappointing to see that her character on this weekend’s A Massive Daring Lovely Journey looks like a step again. On the very least, it is a return to the shallow characterizations Barbie sought to keep away from, and it finally makes your entire film, which follows two strangers who embark on a fantastical journey via their pasts, really feel hole.
Margot Robbie’s Massive Daring Lovely Journey Character Is A Shallow Feminine Character — Not like Her Barbie
In A Massive Daring Lovely Journey, Robbie’s Sarah is your normal Broken Woman. Inside mere minutes of assembly David (Colin Farrell), she bluntly tells him that she’ll solely harm him, as a result of that is simply what she does. Later, she goes into nice element about why she’s a cheater, treating it as a foregone conclusion, a compulsion written into her DNA relatively than, I do not know, a extremely dangerous behavior.
This, normally, is her fixed chorus all through your entire film. She’s afraid to like, and she or he’s vulnerable to hurting folks. She repeats it advert nauseam, to the purpose the place I needed to achieve via the display screen, take her by the shoulders, and say, “Have you ever ever thought-about remedy? Or not speaking?“
Sarah is a personality we have seen many instances. She’s the bruised lady who’s cautious of affection, however don’t be concerned, she’ll study the worth of it by the tip of the film! (Spoilers for the ending of A Massive Daring Lovely Journey.) Inherently, this is not a nasty archetype. If performed with care, she will be able to have a extremely satisfying and fulfilling story. Trainwreck and Palm Springs come to thoughts for me.
The issue right here is that there is not way more to Sarah’s character past her broad declarations of how she’s horrible at relationships. We all know she prevented being along with her mom when she died — as a result of she was too busy having an affair along with her professor, naturally — and dropping her mother is without doubt one of the issues that closed her off emotionally. It is all very textbook.
Robbie’s Barbie character is nothing like Sarah, and there is not actually anybody inside that film who would match this invoice. Nonetheless, it options plenty of feminine characters who really feel like actual folks, not inventory characters. That is very true for Robbie’s Barbie, whose identify actually references how she begins as a stereotype.
All through the film, she transcends the archetype of a superbly put-together doll and learns what true femininity is. She turns into a well-rounded particular person, one who cries brazenly at seeing people go about their on a regular basis lives, who loses confidence in herself, however later rallies and learns the worth of being somebody who feels all the things.
It is a bummer to see Robbie’s newest film character — her first since Barbie — is a a lot flatter depiction of a flawed feminine character. If something, it simply emphasizes how exceptional Barbie is, and additional demonstrates the work that may be performed. A Massive Daring Lovely Journey is not with out its strengths, however Sarah’s characterization simply is not it.
- Launch Date
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September 19, 2025
- Director
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Kogonada
- Writers
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Seth Reiss
- Producers
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Bradley Thomas, Youree Henley, Ryan Friedkin, Seth Reiss