Directed by:
Paddy BreathnachScreenplay:
Simon BeaufoyComposer:
Patrick DoyleCast:
Alan Rickman, Natasha Richardson, Rachel Griffiths, Rachael Leigh Cook, Josh Hartnett, Bill Nighy, Warren Clarke, Rosemary Harris, Hugh Bonneville (more)VOD (2)
Plots(1)
Two beauty salons in the small English town of Keighley are locked in a heated rivalry over the National Hairdressing Championships. Local hairdresser Phil was once the golden boy of the competition until his wife and model Shelly left him and their son Brian to set up shop with her lover Sandra. Retired from the scene, Phil wants nothing to do with all the excitement surrounding the beautiful and stylish crowd that has flocked to the town. However, as the preparations for the big event begin to unfold, it becomes clear that the out-of-towners aren't playing by the rules, so rivals Phil, Shelly and Sandra must put aside their differences and team up to put their town back on the map and their family back on track. (official distributor synopsis)
(more)Reviews (2)
I was kind of hesitant about how to review this film. In the end, I leaned towards the higher four-star rating. The film has an original theme, but the script and direction are pretty mediocre. It follows a certain formula precisely, so I knew from the beginning where it was heading and what the ending would be. Still, the film managed to be a very pleasant surprise in some moments. It surprised me mainly with its humor. Branding sheep or a pink heart in the crotch area was spot-on. However, the emotional scenes turned out to be a bit of a disaster, saved only by the fantastic actors from sinking into the depths of awkwardness and unintentional humor. You'll like Alan Rickman's grumpy face even if you don't want to. But I've already seen what Josh Hartnett was doing in several movies. The film would rightly deserve three stars, but a blissful feeling spread through me after it was over, so I'm going (a little undeservedly) higher.
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It's not a great comedy. There are moments when I thought it was unnecessarily contrived just to elicit emotions. But then there are moments that my girlfriend and I simply enjoyed and had fun. The finale is one of them. It just turned out well and visually, it's truly beautiful. By the way, Josh Hartnett has a really awful English accent.
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