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Barbershop (2002)
"Pleasantly surprised" seems to be the most popular phrase describing Ice Cube's (rapper and movie exec.) newest movie venture and for good reason. When people think of Ice Cube on the movie scene, generally his profound success with Friday sits at the forefront. With Barbershop, though, think same success but with a Jenny Jones contextual makeover.
Quite frankly, Barbershop showcases a depth to which his bundle of Friday flicks didn't even aspire. Expect not only to fall over laughing at a truly delightful cast but to have your sociopolitical awareness gently teased. Did I just write... yes, you can pronounce it, your sociopolitical awareness gently teased. By mixing in three-quarters of humor with talk of everything from reparations to African-Americans to reflecting on our own stereotypes, this movie certainly makes a viable attempt at doing just that.
Now that you know where I stand, the sustenance.
The movie's general conflict is nothing new. The fun, though, is watching this primarily African-American cast of promising newcomers work its magic. Ice Cube plays Calvin, a young husband who revels in the thought of doing any and everything except running his father's financially barren barbershop. He takes for granted the shop's value to him and its' value to the down and out south Chicago neighborhood it resides in. Calvin even goes so far as to sell it to a loan shark and underground businessman, Lester (Keith David), in order to pursue other business ventures. Staying true to this class of conflict, naturally, the light bulbs don't come on until after the evil deed has been done, and Calvin has to somehow wiggle himself out of the fiasco.
Unbeknown to them, the help-Calvin-out committee is made up, primarily, of loveably eccentric barbers who teach him to appreciate the simple. Eddie, comically crafted and brought to life as only Cedric the Entertainer could have, provides his younger barber coworkers and counterparts with wisdom taught to him over the years. Lone female barber and beautician, Terri played by Eve (rapper and branching actress), skillfully gives us the attitude of a thousand women scorned, and yet, the attachment she has to her 'do not drink me' apple juice relays an innocence that quietly nullifies all of that. Sean Patrick Thomas transforms into his snooty college educated role, Barber Thomas, as if he never left the medical school bound high schooler he was in Save the Last Dance. The melting pot also includes a seemingly out of place Caucasian barber, Isaac (Troy Garity), who introduces the audience to the 'white boy from the hood' and Michael Ealy as the stereotypical thug and ex-con who has a knack for numbers and random facts. Lastly is a West African barber, Dinko (Leonard Howze), who is at a loss for street smarts and like Troy, seemingly out of place. This barbershop team takes the audience through the movie's main plot, while Anthony Anderson and Lahmard Tate (brother of Lorenz Tate) both shine in the movie's robbery ridden subplot that congeals nicely, but questionably convenient, with the main conflict only at the very end.
After meeting such complex characters who challenge the norm of African-American roles in film, Dinko's persona makes for a grave disappointment as one of very few Africans, if any, to appear in urban African-American film. But, hey, one movie at a time.
Still, though, Barbershop is a pleasing studio directorial debut from Tim Story known best for his music videos. He has also directed two independent films. While playing to an African-American demographic, Story along with writers Mark Brown (Two Can Play That Game) and Don D. Scott make this an enjoyable 102-minute escape for anyone who has a hunger for humor... and to have their sociopolitical awareness gently teased.
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