I'm a white guy who grew up in the suburbs, yet I found myself connecting with just about every major character in this film.
"Barbershop" goes above and beyond expectations, as it refuses to let itself get hung-up on the usual cliches of urban comedy. It's edgy without being offensive, and it's sentimental without being sappy.
Ice Cube is a charismatic lead, but it's the quirky, everyday characters surrounding and supporting him, and the dynamics between them, that really make the film as special as it is.
Cedric the Entertainer does a fine job as the old man with "seniority" who freely spouts out his own unique brand social and political commentary that often comes out of left field. His comedic personality produces more chuckles than belly laughs, but it's genuine, honest humor, a breath of fresh air for a movie of this kind. His character doesn't turn into a clown; he always comes off as an eccentric, but the kind of eccentric that you really might find at a barbershop, and the kind that means well and is easily loveable.
In fact, the whole cast of characters of the barbershop crew has an overall genuine feeling of honesty to it. They're not just two-dimensional stereotypes; they're people with real problems, real feelings--people we can root for and sympathize with.
"Barbershop" is a genuinely funny, well-made, and, I believe, much needed film about people. And not just black people, but about humanity in general, about the things that make us all who we are. It's got plenty of heart AND soul.
8/10 stars
"Barbershop" goes above and beyond expectations, as it refuses to let itself get hung-up on the usual cliches of urban comedy. It's edgy without being offensive, and it's sentimental without being sappy.
Ice Cube is a charismatic lead, but it's the quirky, everyday characters surrounding and supporting him, and the dynamics between them, that really make the film as special as it is.
Cedric the Entertainer does a fine job as the old man with "seniority" who freely spouts out his own unique brand social and political commentary that often comes out of left field. His comedic personality produces more chuckles than belly laughs, but it's genuine, honest humor, a breath of fresh air for a movie of this kind. His character doesn't turn into a clown; he always comes off as an eccentric, but the kind of eccentric that you really might find at a barbershop, and the kind that means well and is easily loveable.
In fact, the whole cast of characters of the barbershop crew has an overall genuine feeling of honesty to it. They're not just two-dimensional stereotypes; they're people with real problems, real feelings--people we can root for and sympathize with.
"Barbershop" is a genuinely funny, well-made, and, I believe, much needed film about people. And not just black people, but about humanity in general, about the things that make us all who we are. It's got plenty of heart AND soul.
8/10 stars