Blow Dry
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Movie Reviews of Blow Dry
Movie Review: Not Just About Hair
Summary: 5 Stars
I rented this movie because of two reasons: 1.) I love Alan Rickman and 2.) I read several reviews about it and thought I would find out for myself how good it was.
I am very glad that I rented (and very soon after, bought it) the movie. The performances by everyone were very well done.
Alan Rickman shines, as usual, as the divorced Phil Allen--a hair dresser who was once widely known for his incredible talent, but is now much more isolated. His performance is just incredible. I cannot find another word to describe him in this movie.
Natasha Richardson is not only gorgeous but also a wonderful actress. She gives a heartwarming performance in this movie. All her character--Shelley wants to do is reunite her family because of something that is going on with her (I don't want to give it away). When I first heard that she plays a lesbian in the movie I found it hard to believe that she could pull it off, but she was great! Her performance brought tears to my eyes.
Rachel Griffiths gives a stellar performance as Sandra, Shelley's partner. Oh my goodness, she brought tears to my eyes as well! She is a wonderful actress and I am so glad that she was cast in this movie.
As for Rachel Leigh Cook and Josh Hartnett, they were pretty good. Josh's accent wasn't the best, but it wasn't the worst either. I have no idea why the two of them are on the cover of the tape/DVD. They are NOT the main characters!!!
Other than that, the other characters (especially Bill Nighy) were fantastic. The whole movie is wonderful. I highly recommend it to anyone who loves Drama and Comedy mixed together. Also, if you're an Alan Rickman fan, it's a MUST SEE!
Movie Review: Blow Dry
Summary: 5 Stars
Hmmm, what's this movie with Josh Hartnett and Rachael Leigh Cook on the cover? Must be some nutty teen comedy, right?
Well, with one cancer diagnosis and one death in the first 15 minutes, Blow Dry is hardly the feel-good romance you'd expect. Strikingly similar to The Big Tease, Blow Dry tells the story of a haircutting competition that descends on a small town in Britain. Celebrities (well, celebrity stylists) from around England arrive to compete, and the local boys get into the act as well. But while the drama unfolds with models and shears, another drama takes place among the locals -- largely involving various romances and a singular cancer victim.
Filled with some good actors -- Alan Rickman, Natasha Richardson, Rachel Griffiths -- and some okay ones -- Hartnett and Cook -- I was expecting a lot more from Blow Dry. Alas, the material just isn't up to par, leaving the real Brits flailing for inspiration and the American posers sporting some of the worst phony British accents ever: Cook doesn't even try in most of her scenes. [Note: A faithful reader writes to tell me that Cook's character isn't supposed to be British, she's American. He also suggests I watch the film again to see for myself... a prospect which sounds to awful to bear.]
The hairstyles are alternately lovely and laughable, as is the sentiment in the film as a whole. It's an okay time made tolerable largely by Warren Clarke's semi-smarmy and overtly proud mayor.
I was pleasantly surprised, it was a great film, I really enjoyed it more than I thought I would.
Movie Review: Very funny
Summary: 5 Stars
The quaint town of Keighly is the site of the British Hairdressing Championship and the whole town is aflutter with the arrival of the country's top stylists including Ray Robertson (Bill Nighy). His one-time rival (Alan Rickman) has led a quiet life as the local barber ever since his wife (Natasha Richardson) left him. She now owns a beauty shop and wants to enter the competition, but first the doctor has some news for her.
This Britcom boasts an ensemble cast of talented stars and a very witty script. There is an interesting back-story for each character; some are silly, others poignant. Bill Nighy is an absolute riot as the flamboyant and unscrupulous hair diva, Rickman plays it serious as a poker-faced used-to-be, while Richardson is plucky as a lesbian with health issues. All of the smaller roles are gems, too, especially the uptight Keighly lord mayor (Warren Clarke) who sings Elvis, and Rosemary Harris as an elderly nursing home resident.
This collection of eccentric characters competing in an over-the-top contest had me laughing from start to finish. Highly recommended.
Movie Review: Don't blow it off
Summary: 5 Stars
Having glanced at the other customer reviews, I'm surprised at the lukewarm ones. I'm in my mid-40s and my husband is in his late 50s. We're certainly no prudes, but at first I was hesitant to rent "Blow Dry" because of the title and cover photo (I thought it might fall into the popular crude-humor category geared toward teens and young adults). Nevertheless, I went ahead and rented it; after reading the plot synopsis, I thought the movie might be somewhat similar to other quirky comedies we've loved ("Waking Ned Devine", "Saving Grace", and of course, "The Full Monty"). I was right, and we both thoroughly enjoyed it. OK, Hartnett's accent is neither perfect nor consistent, but so what? And we certainly didn't expect it to be a heavy, "important" movie, so finding it to be a delightfully fresh comedy more than satisfied us. Alan Rickman was super, as were the other actors. Just approach it in a spirit of lightheartedness and fun and you'll be pleased. P.S. Although "Blow Dry" isn't just about hair, we're planning to give our hairdresser the DVD for Christmas, and we feel sure she'll love it!Movie Review: A feel good movie
Summary: 5 Stars
I was skeptical about seeing this movie, because it seemed the studio was ashamed of it, never lauching it into wide release. In fact, the video came out just before the nationwide release this year. I only went to see it because Rachael Leigh Cook was in it. I was pleasantly surprised, however, by the good natured humor, the strong acting performances, and the altogether fun plotline. Even if you don't know anything about professional hair styling, you gain an appreciation for the vocation. The movie is kind of a satire of hair styling competitions, but apparently (read the confessions of a former competitive hair stylist who served as consultant to the movie, on the official web site) much of the cheating and over the top hairdos portray the real thing pretty accurately. Yeah, the critics were harsh on this movie by being too cerebral about it. If you just want to let loose and relax and not think but just enjoy the ride, you'll find yourself chuckling uncontrollably during much of the movie and cheering on your favorite stylists during the on-screen competition.