Barbershop (film)
From AwardAnnals
| Film: | Barbershop |
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| Director: | Tim Story |
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| Distributor: | MGM (Video & DVD) |
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Reviews
Amazon.com
With enough lively banter to keep its customers happy for years, Barbershop is a loose, lanky comedy with its heart—and its humor—in all the right places. Ice Cube plays Calvin, reluctant heir to his late father’s barbershop on Chicago’s South Side—a neighborhood institution that seems like a trap for a guy with bigger dreams. But Calvin is devoted to his employees and local customers, and when he makes an ill-considered deal with a loan shark (Keith David), the future of the barbershop hangs in the balance. There’s a goofy subplot involving a stolen cash machine, but what gives Barbershop its abundant charm is its compassionate, feel-good vibe for its likable characters—not just scene-stealer Cedric the Entertainer (as Eddie the veteran barber, whose shaving lesson is a shining pearl of wisdom), but the entire well-chosen cast. It may seem like a lot of casual rap, but look and listen closely, and Barbershop will reward you with its danceable rhythms of life. —Jeff Shannon
Barnes and Noble
Barbershop—an African-American comedy with genuine crossover appeal that proved itself a box-office surprise in 2002—succeeds on its warmth, sincerity, and infectious high spirits. Those qualities will be readily apparent to those seeing the film for the first time on this extras-laden DVD. The movie is set in an old Chicago barbershop, a family-run operation that faces closure and sale by would-be entrepreneur Calvin (played by Ice Cube), who’d rather be engaged in something more likely to earn him big money. Once he realizes how many people depend on the shop’s existence, Calvin has a change of heart—but it may be too late. Raucously funny and more than a little coarse, Barbershop celebrates family and community in a positive, life-affirming way, which makes this modest movie a real standout of its type. Director Tim Story keeps the camerawork simple and deftly guides his ensemble cast, which is headed by Cube but dominated by Cedric the Entertainer, who is hilarious as an irreverent barber unafraid to skewer the community’s sacred cows. The other characters are endowed with readily identifiable traits that are skillfully portrayed by Story’s actors (who include Anthony Anderson, Keith David, and Sean Patrick Thomas). Barbershop’s easygoing charm is also reflected in the commentary by Story, screenwriter Don Scott, and producers Bob Teitel and George Tillman Jr. Other DVD extras include deleted scenes with Story’s commentary, a reel of outtakes, four behind-the-scenes featurettes, and a P. Diddy music video. Ed Hulse
