Cheap Blow Dry (DVD) (Alan Rickman, Natasha Richardson) (Paddy Breathnach) Price

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Customer Reviews of Blow Dry

However, Paddy Breathnach's 'Blow Dry' is a good example of what not to do when attempting to make an audience care about something that they normally wouldn't. The whole movie is about hair. The idea is to make people watching care which obsessive-compulsive barber wins an English hairdressing tournament. The whole thing it just weird.

'Blow Dry' (2000) stars Natasha Richardson as Shelley, a middle-aged hairdresser with a lesbian lover, a lot of really tight clothes, and incurable cancer. She hasn't spoken to her ex-husband Phil Allen (Alan Rickman) for ten years, her son, Brian (Josh Hartnett), is embarrassed to be seen with her, and to make matters worse they all live in the same, tiny village in England.

Ultimately, 'Blow Dry' is about the regrouping of an exceptionally dysfunctional family. The whole competition aspect works as a catalyst that forces them to face both the past and the future.

The acting is basically decent. Richardson, Rickman, and Rachel Griffiths are all well suited for their roles and for Hartnett, this movie was the first step away from 'heart throb' towards serious actor, but his efforts are overshadowed by the presence of Rachel Leigh Cook. Cook plays the American daughter of the Allen's biggest rival. Her character, Christina, crams into the plot with a horrifying lack of grace that makes it seem like someone went back and added her into all the scenes after the rest of the script was finished. The only possible excuse for Cook's blunder of an acting job is the randomness of her role.

'Blow Dry' wasn't quite there as far as I'm concerned. The storyline steps into a strange territory that leaves the audience wondering if they just watched a comedy or a drama, and feeling particularly unsatisfied with the outcome. I liked parts of it, but as a whole it did nothing for me.

Ignore the U.S. cover box (as usual) & it's a treat
I recently saw Richard Curtis' wonderful 'Love Actually' and - having been bowled over once again by the bountiful comic talents of Bill Nighy and great work of the sloe-eyed, laconic Alan Rickman - wondered where to turn next to enjoy the work of these two fine actors.

The answer: "Blow Dry." Rickman and Nighy are fabulous as long-time rival hairdresser competitors in this campy but touching tale that tries very hard to get that unique "Strictly Ballroom" feel and camp/pathos/triumph balance. It falls just short of that, but it's a real treat nevertheless.

Unfortunately, judging from the irksome U.S. coverbox you'd never guess this was such a touching, well-written and intelligently humorous movie with a *very* talented cast - Nighy, Rickman, Natasha Richardson (!), Rachel Griffiths (!!). Now, that's an honor roll. With all that going for it, why, why, why do we get force-fed a marketing campaign featuring Josh Harnett and Rachael Leigh Cook? Harnett is quite good here, actually, pulling off a British accent with aplomb. But poor Cook is placed into a no-win situation as the supposed Minneapolis-based daughter of hairdresser Nighy. It seems force-fed into the movie...she's totally boxed in here and can't fight her way out.

I ignored this movie for two years because of bad marketing. How many others are going to miss out for the same reason? I knew Nighy (possibly my favorite actor) was involved, but felt like I was going to have to sit through a Harnett/Cook "She's All That" clone. I had to have a friend tell me otherwise. Turns out, nothing could be further from the truth. This is a great little film you need to check out as soon as possible.

Two additional little treats -

- Warren Clarke as The Mayor, who gets more and more showy and confident as the movie goes on (and actually shepards the film through its credits in a bit of solo showmanship). Name ring a bell? How about 'Dim' in "A Clockwork Orange"? Wow! Also, he's known in the UK most recently as Detective Andy Dalziel in the recurring TV series "Dalziel and Pascoe."

- Heidi Klum, hiding behind pancake makeup and blonde fright wig as 'Total Look' muse 'Jasmine.' You wouldn't think it possible to turn Heidi Klum shrewish and unattractive, but 'Blow Dry' pulls it off.

rocks
funny , sweet , touching , gripping british comerdy that really packs the laughs.