Beauty Shop

I am not black. I am not a woman. I have never had a weave or extensions, and I try to stay out of the ghetto as much as possible.

Yet I got a kick out of Beauty Shop for some reason???

The script itself is not all that strong, but the performances by QL and the rest of the ensemble cast are watchable and engaging.

Props to Kevin Bacon. His outrageous and flamboyant Jorge' is a nice departure from his other roles and he comes across as quite convincing in the part.

The movie only gets 3 stars from me because the storyline is quite conventional and played out. However, for the most part the jokes are funny and the actors deliver them nicely.... so tack on an extra star for that.

While it won't win any awards, "Beauty Shop" is pure mindless fun.

Beauty Shop is a wholesome movie. It is a refreshing change from the negative portrayal of females seen in most movies today. Beauty Shop captures the true qualities of women striving, surviving, and winning against all odds. There wasn't a strong storyline, just a message of how women of all cultures deal with cheating husbands, cosmetic surgery, gender and racial profiling, insecurity, and male chauvinism. Still these women roll with the punches to enjoy each other and celebrate the beauty within.

The underlining theme of the movie is Maya Angeleo's poem Phenomenal Woman, which can be seen in Gina Norris (Queen Latifa), the struggling entrepreneur trying to secure a future for her daughter Vanessa (Paige Hurd) a young talented pianist. Particularly colorful characters are "Catfish Rita" (Cheryl Underwood), Ms. Josephine (Alfre Woodard), Lynn (Alicia Silverstone), Darnell (Keshia Knight Pulliam) and Jorge (Kevin Bacon). It is has lots of humor, guaranteed to make you smile.

Barbershop spin-off finds Latifah in Atlanta where she's recognized as the city's best hair stylist even though she works for a dandy, self-absorbed shop owner (Bacon). Ambitious and fed up with his disrespect, she quits her job then branches out and opens her own shop. Despite her undeniable talent, and the support of her devoted co-workers, she still has to learn how to endure the hardships of owning and operating her own business. The plot is a little too simple, and seems set up a bit too easily, but it's likable and pleasant with an appealing, first-rate cast. Bacon has an odd but amusing supporting role, and Latifah is an ideal leading woman. Laughs aren't always consistent but they are effective, and everyone seems to be enjoying themselves. **½

VERY mild spoilers.

This movie has some great funny parts. The friends I was with kept saying "where's the plot?" Well, the plot was done in, well, chick-flick style - plenty of relationship touchy-feely stuff, and not much action. But that's what I expected.

For me the strength of the film was in the development and interaction of the characters. The writers spared no silly jokes in virtually any conversation - which is why I wanted to see the film in the first place.

Kevin Bacon as a fake German gay hair-salon owner was a bit disappointing; when we actually saw him try to work he didn't seem to know anything about the how to do hair - which contradicts the premise of his character. He could have been a competent hair-dresser and still been a total jerk.

Queen Latifa, as usual, was wonderful, witty, funny, delivered her lines perfectly, and simply knows how and when to do things just at the right moment. I'm sure the editors, director and others also deserve credit for her performance, but she shines in whatever she's in.

OK, I don't mean to make this out to be a great movie; it isn't. It's entertaining, touching and funny - but it's mostly just "there" and doesn't really move me beyond the moment. When it was over I was ready to go home.

This movie is a spin-off sequel to Barberer Shop 2: Back in Business. Gina is a hairstylist who opens up a beauty shop full of employees and customers more interested in speaking their minds than getting a cut.

Latifah does it again! Her charm lights up the screen. Gina's business starts off bad. Her own shop just looks bad. Luckily, her friends help her clean up the place and that's where she hires employees. She gets one of her white friends in the other shop to help her work there. Some of her black friends comes to help.

This is one of those comedies that doesn't uses f-words. The acting from Latifah, Woodard, Silverstone, and Bacon are great. Actually, I've never seen Bacon act like that in his entire film career. It's funny to see that. Bacon's character then gets jealous because Gina is doing much better than he has expected. The jokes are funny in this film.

If you just want to see a feel-good film, here it is!