Film Review

By Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat

Beauty Shop
Directed by Bille Woodruff
MGM 04/05 DVD/VHS Feature Film
PG-13 - sexual material, language, brief drug references

This comedy spin-off from the Barbershop franchise gets its focus and clout from the appealing performance of Queen Latifah. She plays Gina Norris, a character who appeared in Barbershop 2: Back in Business as the girlfriend of Chicago barber Calvin Palmer (Ice Cube). Now she has left the Windy City far behind and works in a posh salon in Atlanta run by Jorge Christophe (Kevin Bacon). When this nasty and elitist entrepreneur demonstrates that he has no respect for her talent, she quits and decides to open her own place.

After she demonstrates her ability to come up with new looks by designing a new hairstyle for a bank loan officer at a bank, Gina gets the money she needs to purchase a run-down salon in an inner-city neighborhood. From Christophe's salon, she attracts Lynn (Alicia Silverstone), a blonde shampoo girl who dreams of bigger things, and two wealthy clients (Andie MacDowell, Mena Suvari). The stylists at the new place are feisty African-Americans who speak their minds freely (Alfre Woodard, Golden Brooks, and Sherri Shepherd). James (Bryce Wilson), the only male stylist, is so sexy that woman swoon in his presence. Gina and her teenage daughter Vanessa (Paige Hurd) are very much taken with Joe (Djimon Hounsou), an electrician who lives above the salon and is a gifted musician.

Billie Woodruff directs this workplace comedy with just the right mix of sassy humor and emotional vibrancy. Gina demonstrates the grit and determination needed to start up a new business in a slum as she faces the challenge of a racist incident in the salon and some vandalism and shady dealings designed to stop her. We never doubt for a minute that she'll achieve her dream.

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by Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat