Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #9346 in DVD
• Released on: 2006-06-15
• Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
• Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: PAL, Widescreen
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 97 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
Despite a gifted Anglo-American cast, Blow Dry strikes an uneasy balance between sentiment and camp. It aims for the same sort of high-wire act that Strictly Ballroom and Priscilla, Queen of the Desert pulled off so effortlessly, but melodrama wins the day. The comic moments are suitably over the top (as expected in a film about duelling hairdressers), but rarely as amusing as intended. The relationships between barbershop owner Phil (Alan Rickman), ex-wife Shelley (Natasha Richardson) and Sandra (Rachel Griffiths), "the other woman", could be more fully developed but are affecting nonetheless. The setting is West Yorkshire. The event that brings them together is the British National Hairdressing Championships. Phil initially resists the urge to compete as it reminds him of the success he and Shelley once enjoyed, but his son Brian (Josh Hartnett) convinces him to give it a go. Hartnett and Rachael Leigh Cook (She's All That), as the daughter of Phil's old nemesis, seem like peculiar casting choices for a British film, but Hartnett's accent is passable (Cook plays an American) and they don't embarrass themselves as much as supermodel Heidi Klum, who plays a tacky, two-timing hair model. The screenplay is by Simon Beaufoy of Full Monty fame. Although not up to that standard--and certainly no match for Shampoo (the greatest hairdressing movie of all time)--Blow Dry is still a good showcase for the talents of its three leads. --Kathleen C Fennessy

On The DVD: Blow Dry's on disc anamorphic 1.85:1 widescreen transfer holds a great spectrum or colour. A film about hairdressing needs to faithfully recreate the lavish, over-the-top barnets in all their glorious Technicolor detail and luckily the result is a rich and detailed film with excellent colour saturation throughout. In terms of extras, the film is pretty much left to speak for itself. A blink and you’ll miss it "making of" documentary featuring interviews with cast and crew and an eclectic collection of trailers for such other comedies as She's All That and Muriel's Wedding are all that you get to while away the post feature presentation minutes. –-Kristen Bowditch

DVD Description
DVD Special Feature:
"Behind the Scenes" featurette.

Synopsis
The British Hairdressing Championship is coming to the small Yorkshire town of Keighley. The Mayor (Warren Clarke) is ecstatic--but initially the townspeople are underwhelmed. The exotic models and their even more exotic hairdressers arrive--among them reigning champion, Ray Robertson (Bill Nighy). The Mayor is disappointed when there is no local entry, especially since Keighley is the hometown of ex-champion, Phil Allen (Alan Rickman). But, Phil stopped competing when his model, Sandra (Rachel Griffiths), ran off with his wife, Shelley (Natasha Richardson). Shelley has cancer, and discovering it is terminal, she tries to reunite her family--Phil, their son Brian (Josh Hartnett), and Sandra--by entering the competition. Phil refuses. However, needled by the confident Ray, Brian enters on behalf of the family. Soon, they are cutting hair together again.
Director Paddy Breathnach maintains the delicate balance between the pathos of Shelley's illness and the breathtaking flamboyance of the hairdressing competition, as it goes from outrageous camp to gorgeous fulfillment. Alan Rickman is splendid--especially when the phlegmatic Phil returns to competition with flashing scissors and tattooed feet. Natasha Richardson is touching as she fights to regain her family. And Rachel Griffiths gives a powerful performance, apparently in support, until she becomes the family's fabulous golden angel.

Customer Reviews

A surprisingly good storyline with raw wit & humanity
I was dubious about the film but I've now watched it twice and still found it funny second time round. The added bonus is that it's set in Keighley - not far from me - and the actors all have broad Yorkshire accents. Coming from Josh Hartnett, a Yank, it's hilarious but he does a superb job of it; and Alan Rickman sounds almost as good! The story is actually quite profound - if you see past all the hairdressing and focus on the human aspects, the family aspects, the relationships and how potential tragedy can bring out the best in people, it's fantastic. The highlight for me was the tattoo on the sole of Rickman's foot!! It's original comedy and great drama combined. I'm glad I've got it.

Blow Dry
I don't suppose you can really have a film that features Bill Nighy, Alan Rickman, Natasha Richardson and Warren Clarke and yet turns out to be total twaddle, but take a novel idea and let these; some of the finest British actors, run away with it and you have something really unique on your hands.

A real mixture of over the top campness and complete pantomime this could have easily turned out to be a total farce but yet it somehow manages to combine the extreme showbiz with heart warming moments and pull it off with aplomb.

Mind you, you do have to question the choice of Josh Hartnett as the handsome young man interest, nothing against him as an actor and the less said about the accent the better, but couldn't they have found a young British actor instead?

Keep a look out for Peter Kay also in one of the crowd scenes.

Great!
What a marvellous piece of escapism for a Saturday afternoon! A good mix of comedy and tragedy keeps this film from being too sickly; the illness of one character is handled realistically, yet the film does not dwell on this. The setting is superb, as is most of the cast; with the possible exception of Josh Hartnett (never really got the hang of the old Yorkshire accent, but tried valiantly anyway!)there is nevertheless a knockout combination of "male cameo" (Warren Clarke in excellent form), "the Baddy" (Bill Nighy casting evil glares in every direction) and the "reluctant hero" (Alan Rickman at a dour best). The female characters support rather than lead, but on the whole do it very well; my only complaint was Cook's rather yawn-inducing screen presence. All in all, a really enjoyable "watch-again" film!