Rating 15
Length 1h34
Release 30.3.2001
Director Paddy Breathnach
About Shelley operates a small salon with her partner. When the British Hairdressing Championships are announced, Shelley asks her ex-husband and son to join her.
Moon: no moon sighting
Where to Watch: Amazon Prime
Trailer:
The Good
- Alan Rickman. He can do ham, he can do serious, he can do villainy. He could do anything he put his mind to, but the best roles of his are the ones where you can see that he’s having the time of his time. Blow Dry is no exception. I got this film to watch solely on the fact that Rickman was in it and he’s a joy to watch.
- This film represents. I suppose when its about a hairdressing competition, that’s a bit of an open goal. But, this is a film from 2001 that has a lesbian couple and it’s not the main part of the plot. Okay, so it’s a quirky British film and never made the Box Office of Full Monty or Billy Elliot. However, this is still a mainstream movie and it’s quite progressive.
- At the heart of this film is the relationships. Whether its newly forged, reconnections or companionship; they’re all there. While I love the scenes with Phil (Rickman) and Sandra (Griffiths), my favourite is that between Natasha Richardson’s Shelley and Rosemary Harris’ Daisy. It’s a bittersweet and unapologetic friendship; it’s one that is very ‘northern’.
- My absolute favourite part of this movie is the evolution of the Mayor of Keighley, played by the wonderful Warren Clarke. Tony’s growth from Town councillor out of his depth, to joyous host and confident charmer is just a beautiful thing to watch.
The Bad
- There is a massive plot hole in this film that bugs the fuck out of me. The only reason why its here and not swapped with what I’ve put in ‘ugly’, is that the accents bug more than just me.
So, final look? Spent 6 months workin’ on it did ya Phil? How’s that possible given that in involves a tattoo over 50% of the lass’s scalp? - The rating. There are a few things that make this a 15 rating that, had they been cut would have brought it down to a 12. One scene that is perhaps unnecessary is seeing Heidi Klum’s pink merkin! Yup, not one to sit and watch with your families folks.
The Ugly
- The accents. There’s a few really dodgy attempts at a Yorkshire twang in this heartwarming film, however Josh Hartnett really needed to spend more time with a dialect coach. Totally understand why they cast him; he was The Name of the noughties, I also know that this film needed to be set ‘up north’ to have that charm. I just wish it wasn’t quite so terrible an attempt.
Final Thoughts
It’s flawed. However, there’s enough charm to distract you from the cracks. It’s also a good film to spot some actors as they’re starting out.
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