The Barber

Surprisingly much better than it sounds, the film is atmospheric and stylishly directed, and the screenplay has good ideas and dialogue. The film still has the markings of a routine thriller, and towards the end in particular it starts to lose itself. But it is a modest production, which does not try to be any better than it is, and it is rather fascinating to watch. McDowell quite effectively narrates and plays the leading role, and the music used in the film is very fitting in general - though the classical music used feels like a forced allusion to 'A Clockwork Orange'. Overall, it is not a masterpiece of cinema, but it is definitely better than the average thriller out there, and it certainly has more power to engage than most Hollywood productions today.

Dexter Miles (Malcolm McDowell) is the seemingly benign barber in the remote town of Revelstoke, Alaska. Dexter has found the perfect place to live, cut hair, and work on his hobby. Unfortunately for the townsfolk, Dexter's -Dex to his friends- hobby is serial murder.

THE BARBER features Mr. McDowell at his psychopathic, sinister best. Dexter's cynicism fuels his homicidal spree, while the imbecilic Sheriff (Jeremy Ratchford) and a know-it-all FBI agent (Garwin Sanford) bumble along missing the obvious. Dexter watches as these two clowns overlook his involvement.

This movie works as both a horror-thriller and a morbidly biting black comedy. McDowell has great fun wallowing in the ghastly ghoulishness of it all...

I rented this thinking it was probably another low budget horror film. As it turned out i was pleasantly surprised by how above average it actually is. The thing i liked most were the Quirky characters, there was some great acting in this movie from start to finish.

You are left wondering whether or not The Barber was really the killer during the course of the movie. You will find out near the end of the film, and i won't ruin it by mentioning if it was or wasn't him.

Rent the movie, you just may like it also...if nothing else, it is a CUT above the rest!

Well you might think me partial because my girlfriend is in this movie...but I know a bad movie when I see one, and this isn't one of them.

It' engaging from the very beginning. You immediately care about the characters and you feel very much for them as they progress through the story. Malcom Macdowell plays...well Malcom Macdowell, and it's a role made exactly for him. Malcom Macdowell really could be a murderous barber with a knack for charming woman. In fact, the entire movie is perfectly cast. The lines that each delivers, are lines that seem only that actor could deliver.

"Come over here Jewel...I've got a nice big sink to do you in!"

In short, it's believable, funny, engaging and most of all, entertaining. You come away smiling.

ash...

Everyone looks for the perfect film and thinks if they do not find it there is nothing worth while. That is why I really enjoy...if not love this film! I need not say anything about Malcolm since his acting and career speaks for itself, but also consider that the films he chooses are not necessarily main stream, but possess some merit(considering his 147 IMDb acting entries).

This film made me think of an Insomnia (foreign or domestic) meets David Lynch (Twin Peaks of course), or the other way around depending on which influenced you first. I can't but wonder if all those things criticized about this film were intentional. The quirky nature of each character, for example, due to effects of S.A.D. (Seasonal Affective Disorder - http://www.nmha.org/infoctr/factsheets/27.cfm), provide the canvas for the film to unfold onto.

This is the one of few reviews I have written, even though I personally own over 1500 films (not that it really means anything or that I have seen them all)! I just felt that someone needed to speak up for the misunderstood. If you spent the time to actually read my comments I thank you for your time, whether you enjoy this film or not. If you have not seen the film, I would like to say it would be worth your while, but this is the kind of film you have to experience for yourself and see how it suits you.