evidence: When it was announced in 2021 that Greta Gerwig, who directed the Oscar-nominated coming-of-age stories Lady Bird and Little Women, would helm Barbie, fans were confused, surprised, and delighted. Maybe the movie would be an idiosyncratic, subversive, even feminist take on the doll, not just a commercial for Mattel. But like Barbie, the movie’s existence is an exercise in contradictions. [...] Whatever audiences ultimately think of Barbie, Gerwig still can’t seem to believe she got away with making this version. "This movie is a goddamn miracle," she says. She calls it a "surprising spicy margarita." By the time you realize the salted rim has cayenne mixed in, it’s too late. "You can already taste the sweetness and you sort of go with the spice."