Dogwatcher
26 Mar 2003, 10:50
Blow Dry
As improbable as it is that the British Haircutting Championships would venture to the Yorkshire dales town of Keightley, Blow Dry is actually an enjoyable comedy drama.
Phil (Alan Rickman) and son Brian (the strangely cast Josh Hartnett) run a barbershop and Phil's ex-wife Shelly (Natasha Richardson) and her lover Sandra (Australian Rachel Griffiths) run a beauty salon.
Phil and Shelly haven't talked in ten years, since she bolted; she's just found out her cancer is terminal; and, Ray Roberts (Bill Nighy), the flashy reigning hairdressing champion, blows into town taunting Phil for retreating from competitive styling into barbering.
Roberts also brings his daughter, Christina (Rachael Leigh Cook), who remembers Brian from when she was a child.
The charming characters, particularly those of the older members of the cast, make up for the improbability of the tale.
The cover illustration for Blow Dry is a little deceptive, suggesting that it might be a teen flick, full of razzle-dazzle, but that is definitely not the case.
Blow Dry is a compassionate story about mending bridges.
Rickman (Galaxy Quest, Dogma, Michael Collins) is his usual consistent self in Hair Dry, you know that any film will be entertaining when this top British actor appears.
The wonderful friendship apparent in the relationship between Shelly (Richardson) and Sandra (Griffiths) really brightens up the movie with a nice human touch.
Young cast members Hartnett and Cook don’t really have to extend themselves too much in Blow Dry, with Hartnett’s accent disappointing at times.
The colour and scenery of a hairdressing competition sits comfortably in the background to the actual story in this film, which is great, but the sub-characters The Kilburn Kutters and The Style Warriors add a measure of entertainment.
A nice relaxing movie, that doesn’t extend the viewer too much.
Rating: 4/5.
Weekly recommended rental: Strictly Ballroom (1992). Virtually the same story as Blow Dry, but in an Australian context.
As improbable as it is that the British Haircutting Championships would venture to the Yorkshire dales town of Keightley, Blow Dry is actually an enjoyable comedy drama.
Phil (Alan Rickman) and son Brian (the strangely cast Josh Hartnett) run a barbershop and Phil's ex-wife Shelly (Natasha Richardson) and her lover Sandra (Australian Rachel Griffiths) run a beauty salon.
Phil and Shelly haven't talked in ten years, since she bolted; she's just found out her cancer is terminal; and, Ray Roberts (Bill Nighy), the flashy reigning hairdressing champion, blows into town taunting Phil for retreating from competitive styling into barbering.
Roberts also brings his daughter, Christina (Rachael Leigh Cook), who remembers Brian from when she was a child.
The charming characters, particularly those of the older members of the cast, make up for the improbability of the tale.
The cover illustration for Blow Dry is a little deceptive, suggesting that it might be a teen flick, full of razzle-dazzle, but that is definitely not the case.
Blow Dry is a compassionate story about mending bridges.
Rickman (Galaxy Quest, Dogma, Michael Collins) is his usual consistent self in Hair Dry, you know that any film will be entertaining when this top British actor appears.
The wonderful friendship apparent in the relationship between Shelly (Richardson) and Sandra (Griffiths) really brightens up the movie with a nice human touch.
Young cast members Hartnett and Cook don’t really have to extend themselves too much in Blow Dry, with Hartnett’s accent disappointing at times.
The colour and scenery of a hairdressing competition sits comfortably in the background to the actual story in this film, which is great, but the sub-characters The Kilburn Kutters and The Style Warriors add a measure of entertainment.
A nice relaxing movie, that doesn’t extend the viewer too much.
Rating: 4/5.
Weekly recommended rental: Strictly Ballroom (1992). Virtually the same story as Blow Dry, but in an Australian context.