Greta Gerwigmay have blessed cinephiles around the world with bothBarbieand her official 33-film watchlist of influences, but fans of the pandemic-era classicBarb & Star Go to Vista Del Marwill notice its curious absence, especially whenJamie Dornan’s Edgar appears to be the ultimate precursor toRyan Gosling’s now-iconic Ken performance. That’s not to say that Dornan’s Edgar was some kind of prototype, as both turn in absolutely show-stopping performances that blow any other cinematic himbos out of the water. Rather, Dornan seems to have cracked the Ken formula two yearsbefore Gosling did in one of the best comediesof its year.
Released in 2021, it’s safe to say that those who sawBarb & Starhad a much more cheerful pandemic experience than the rest, but now withBarbieout in 2023, let’s look back and see just how influential this underrated comedy gem really proves to be.Barb & Star Go to Vista Del Mar(if the Academy Awards gave out awards for the best movie titles, this would sweep) is written by and starsKristen Wiigas Star andAnnie Mumoloas Barb, the titular heroines and lifelong friends who, after losing their job, decide to embark on an absolutely magical journey to the Vista Del Mar Hotel in Florida, awakening their suppressed passions while uncovering a crazysupervillain schemethat could mean death to the entire town’s population. Helmed byStraysdirectorJosh Greenbaum, this isn’tMrs. Harris Goes to Parisas much as it isMelissa McCarthy’sSpycoupled with the musical intensity ofThe Blues Brothers. Add Dornan’s “Himbo of the Year” performance and you’ve got yourself a winning recipe.
‘Barbie’ and ‘Barb & Star Go to Vista Del Mar’ Have a Lot in Common
IfMargot Robbie’s Barbie left Barbieland and found herself in theBarb & Staruniverse rather than our own, she would have had no problem adjusting at all! The similarities between Barbieland and the Vista Del Mar Hotel are positively striking, withBarb & Star’s Florida setting almost acting as a mirror to theBarbie Malibu Dreamhouse. Guests are greeted with flashy musical numbers flaunting the resort’s utopia and selling the dream of a never-ending vacation. The color palettes of both films are drenched in heteronormative hues of pink and blue that brightly pop to create a serene, childlike environment. Obviously, one couldn’t claim their similarities without mentioning that both feature plenty ofbeach, and if that’s still not enough, both films feature appearances frommermaids! This accounts for barely half of the surreal elements ofBarb & Star,but it’s Jamie Dornan’s role that really cements this modern classicas the perfectBarbiecompanion.
Who Is Jamie Dornan’s Edgar in ‘Barb & Star’?
Barb & Starfeatures one of the most left-of-field cold opens in modern film history, opening the film not through playful interactions between its lovable fast-talking BFF heroines, but through the introduction of an evil high-tech supervillain lair situated under a fake tree. That’s not to say that the film peaks early, but that it drops you right into the heart of its own internal insanity. Dornan plays Edgar, the lair’s primary lackey, whose sole ambition is to finally become an “official couple” with his boss, Sharon Fisherman (also Kristen Wiig).Edgar is obsessed with a woman who doesn’t want him, but unfortunately for him, unlike Barbie, Sharon manipulates him to her every advantage.
The relationship echoesKen’s own infatuation with Barbie, as well as his insecurity about the lack of identity he has separate from her. “I only exist within the warmth of your gaze,” Ken tells Barbie. Meanwhile, Edgar’s reading a book calledHow to Know the Person You Love Loves You Even Though They Don’t Act Like It Most of the Time, while Sharon is readingHow to Convince Someone You Love Them When You Don’t, To Get Them To Do What You Want, a gag that would fit perfectly into theBarbieuniverse if Barbie herself was a homicidal evil genius. Both love-obsessed roles speak to the respective actors’ roles as Hollywood hunks, withJamie Dornan spoofing his Mr. Grey personaexceptionally well. Just like the stars ofMagic Mike XXL, they both use their idealized masculinity to ridicule themselves, proving that in spite of their Hollywood standing, they’re individually two of the best comedic actors working.
Jamie Dornan and Ryan Gosling Have Similar Musical Numbers
Labeling the roles of Edgar and Ken as so similar would have been a slight stretch, if not for the fact thatboth bring the house down with two joyously satirical musical numbersas they vent their characters’ every frustration. For Ryan Gosling, “I’m Just Ken” confirmed his chops asone of Hollywood’s most varied musical performers, ensuring that he’s remembered well after audiences leave the multiplex for its extremely catchy nature and all of the visual panache. For all of his woes, he just wants to be “Kenough,” not just to Barbie but to himself. Now say hello again to Edgar, who almostidentically regurgitates his insecuritiesfor the lack of love in his life with a song aptly titled “Edgar’s Prayer." It’s at once catchy, meta, ironic, hilarious, and a music video you never thought you would always need.
Barb & Star’s Edgar andBarbie’s Ken are bothcharacters that embody a recent trend of subversion.Hollywood storytelling is finally offering fresh takes on decades-old tropes. The tried and worndamsel in distress rolesare now being played by ridiculously good-looking men, while portrayals of toxic masculinity (once much more common and uncriticized) are now treated with a layer of understanding for what the character might be using that toxicity to shield themself from. Edgar and Ken’s similarities don’t necessarily come from the fact that they’re both hopelessly in love, but the fact that they’re both hopelessly insecure, a state of mind that they spend their entire arcs trying to rectify. While yes, both films are wildly similar in character and tone, to say that Dornan walked so Gosling could run would be doing “Edgar’s Prayer” an unforgivable disservice. Jamie Dornan flew. Ryan Gosling just soared.
Barb & Star Go to Vista Del Maris available to rent on Prime Video in the U.S.
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Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar
