Cast: Alan Rickman, Natasha Richardson, Rachel Griffiths, Rachael Leigh Cook, Josh Hartnett, Rosemary Harris, Heidi Klum, Bill Nighy
Director: Paddy Breathnach
Producers: Ruth Jackson, William Horberg, David Rubin
Screenplay: Simon Beaufoy
Cinematography: Cian De Buitléar
Music: Patrick Doyle
U.S. Distributor: Miramax Films
Trading in g-strings for coiffures, screenwriter Simon Beaufoy, one of the forces behind the surprise hit and Academy Award nominee The Full Monty, now gives us Blow Dry, a genial film set against the backdrop of the National British Hairdressing Championships. Like The Full Monty, Blow Dry seeks to wed melodrama and comedy, with a little spectacle thrown in for good measure - only the melodrama isn't as mellow or dramatic, the comedy isn't as comical, and the spectacle isn't as spectacular. In short, Blow Dry is enjoyable in a low-key way, but it's far from an unqualified hit, and lacks the infectious energy of Beaufoy's earlier effort.
The story transpires in the North England town of Keighley, where the 2000 edition of the British Hairdressing Championships are being held. At stake are the coveted Silver Scissors, and the dastardly Ray (Bill Nighy) will do anything necessary to emerge victorious - including (gasp!) cheat. For the most part, Ray isn't worried about the competition, but there is one thing that concerns him. Keighley is the hometown of a legendary barber named Phil (Alan Rickman), who hasn't competed in ten years, but still may have what it takes. A decade ago, Phil was untouchable, then his wife, Shelly (Natasha Richardon), ran off with his model, Sandra (Rachel Griffiths), leaving an embittered Phil to retire to a barber's shop that he runs with his son, Brian (Josh Hartnett). Now, Shelly, who is terminally ill with cancer, wants Phil to join her, Brian, and Sandra in representing Keighley and going against the puffed-up Ray.
From start to finish, Blow Dry is pure formula, employing the tried-and-true sports underdog approach (which was recently used in The Big Tease, another film about a hairdressing competition). Directed by Paddy Breathnach from Beaufoy's screenplay, Blow Dry can't muster a single surprise. It's diverting to the extent that any completely predictable motion picture can be described as diverting. Some, although certainly not all, of the humor works, and, with perhaps one exception, the performances are good. But it all doesn't add up to much.
The lead duo of Alan Rickman and Natasha Richardson lend some class to this production. He almost obscures the undeniable fact that we've seen Phil at least a hundred times before, and she almost allows us to forget that her character has been trapped by that least original of movie clichés, the terminal malady. Rachel Griffiths (who gets Blowed twice this spring - once here and once in Ted Demme's Blow) has the opportunity to wear the fanciest costumes and have the most elaborately sculpted hair (she also has a nude scene, albeit with her body covered in paint). Bill Nighy steals his share of scenes with his cutting delivery. Finally, in what is almost certainly a vain attempt to attract teenagers, Miramax has recruited up-and-coming hunk Josh Hartnett and up-and-coming-hunkette Rachel Leigh Cook to provide a little under-20 love interest. Cook brings some sprightly energy to her part, but Hartnett does his best impression of a bump on a log.
Blow Dry is such a forgettable motion picture that, a few months from now, it will be impossible to recall anything about this film without reading a plot synopsis. It's disposable entertainment for those who are in search of something that won't tax the organ housed beneath the hair. To some degree, the movie's general likability helps to compensate for its lack of quality, but this production doesn't offer a whole lot more than The Big Tease when it comes to exploring the comedic side of hairdressing competitions. Now, I wonder what Christopher Guest (Waiting for Guffman, Best In Show) could have done with the same premise?
© 2001 James Berardinelli