SnoopyStyle The annual British Hairdressing Championship comes to the town of Keighley. Phil (Alan Rickman) and her son Brian (Josh Hartnett) run a barbershop. His ex-wife Shelly (Natasha Richardson) and her lesbian partner Sandra (Rachel Griffiths) run a beauty salon. Defending champion Raymond Robertson (Bill Nighy) dissuades Phil from competing. Brian is taken with Raymond's daughter Christina (Rachael Leigh Cook) and joins Shelly who secretly has terminal cancer. This is a British satire. Everybody is playing it up as wacky hairdressing. There are some great Brits but Rachael Leigh Cook and Josh Hartnett stick out as sore thumbs. They are obviously trying to get some buzz going with a couple of hot young Americans. The problem is that I just can't get over these two youngsters trying for a British accent. Sadly, it's unnecessarily distracting. Whereas the story itself is amusing at times. I didn't have any big laughs. It's more cute than funny.

treeline1 The quaint town of Keighly is the site of the British Hairdressing Championship and the whole town is aflutter with the arrival of the country's top stylists including Ray Robertson (Bill Nighy). His one-time rival (Alan Rickman) has led a quiet life as the local barber ever since his wife (Natasha Richardson) left him. She now owns a beauty shop and wants to enter the competition, but first the doctor has some news for her.This Britcom boasts an ensemble cast of talented stars and a very witty script. There is an interesting back-story for each character; some are silly, others poignant. Bill Nighy is an absolute riot as the flamboyant and unscrupulous hair diva, Rickman plays it serious as a poker-faced used-to-be, while Richardson is plucky as a lesbian with health issues. All of the smaller roles are gems, too, especially the uptight Keighly lord mayor (Warren Clarke) who sings Elvis, and Rosemary Harris as an elderly nursing home resident.This collection of eccentric characters competing in an over-the-top contest had me laughing from start to finish. Highly recommended.

lastliberal The British hairdressing championships are coming to Keighley and it just happens to be the town where Phil (Alan Rickman) lives. He used to be the champion until he wife Shelley (Natasha Richardson) left him for Sandra (Rachel Griffiths). Oh, My! Now, he is just a barber (gasp!) and wants nothing to do with Shelly or the championships. Problem is, there is no one else in town that can represent it.A family reunites and we get to see some of the finest British actors.I just hope my hairdresser doesn't see this and get weird ideas. I don't want to come out with green spikes!

jpschapira Many times you watch a movie for several reasons or because you want to find several things, and during the movie you find other things that you didn't expect but become extremely pleasant. I decided to watch "Blow Dry" because of Rachael Leigh Cook, not even because of Josh Hartnett. If I had known that I'd find Alan Rickman, Bill Nighy and some of their fellows, the ride would have been very different. Fortunately; I didn't know.The events in "Blow Dry" unfold in a very peculiar way. In fact, the film is a peculiar comedy with peculiar characters that go through the most peculiar situation. Surprisingly, they are all human beings at last; there's a buried story between them and they show natural emotions as they speak. Maybe it's Simon Beaufoy's solid screenplay, or the fact that the past explains every action and, unlike typical romantic comedies, characters know each other and don't fall in love within days.What makes the picture dynamic and enjoyable is that there are not only two main characters, or only one love story. The plot shows the lives of two families encountered (one separated) by one peculiar (yes) activity: hairdressing. The annual British Hairdressing competition takes place in Keighley, a little town. "This competition", declares the mayor Tony (Warren Clarke) "Will change the history of this town".Raymond Robertson (Bill Nighy), the world champion, assists the competition with his daughter Christine (Rachael Leigh Cook) alongside him. She'll be one of his models, given that the competition consists on different kinds of hair styles done to different people. Robertson is scared for only one man from Keighley who could enter the competition: Phil Allen (Alan Rickman).Allen cuts hairs in a local barbershop with his son Brian (Josh Hartnett), but has been out of competitions for ten years, since the day his wife Shelley (Natasha Richardson) ran away with his model Sandra (Rachel Griffiths) in a lesbian affair that left him all alone. There are things unsaid here; more than we could ever imagine. The stages of the competition take place and the characters' relationships evolve.Who wins the tournament, why and under which circumstances becomes less interesting as we see the other part of the film being developed; the part of the emotions. Paddy Breathnach, the director manages all of this perfectly, leaving a lot of room for the comedy and taking advantage of every illuminated moment the script presents.These illuminations arrive with the cast of gifted actors and the different colors they bring. From the younger, like Rachael Leigh Cook who hasn't been doing much lately but has a great career for her age and a beautiful smile to connect with her talent; and Josh Hartnett, with a well accomplished British accent and experimenting with comedy before his lead in "40 days and 40 nights". To the elder, like the duo created by Richardson and Griffiths, which depends on a lot of accurate chemistry; and Warren Clarke's Tony, who is a revelation as he gains confidence while the days go by in the competition.But finally, those relaxed and calmed old men (to put it in a way) who have great talents and make anyone laugh, but probably will never be recognized for it. When I saw "Galaxy Quest" I noticed certain uniqueness in Alan Rickman's voice and look; years after: it's still there. The man makes me laugh with no efforts, and so does Bill Nighy, an eternal stubborn and annoying actor who couldn't care less about the roles he plays; so to ridicule them, which makes them perfect.British comedies are and have been the funniest comedies of the world; it is because of actors like Rickman and Nighy…Believe me.