Friday, October 23, 2009
Movie review: Good Hair
Chris Rock is one of those anomalies in Hollywood. He still has a certain amount of cachet in the business even though most of his recent projects have been relative failures. In fact, his biggest successes have been the two Madagascar movies (which he wasn't exactly carrying by himself) and serving as producer/narrator of Everybody Hates Chris, the recently-canceled UPN/WB/CW sitcom.
Rock appears to be trading on his good name in order to make the docu-comedy Good Hair, an exploration into the business of hair for African-American women and why many of them are willing to sacrifice in order to ensure that their hair looks good. To do so, Rock traveled to various places around the country to interview both regular people and celebrities about their hair habits. He framed the film with repeated segments involving the biannual Bronner Brothers International Hair Show in Atlanta, at which companies hawk their wares and hairstylists from around the country compete in a contest that's about 10% styling and 90% showmanship.
As Rock shows, there are two major things that black women do to change their hair from its natural state to straight: relaxer and weaves/extensions, neither of which is effortless. Relaxer is otherwise known as sodium hydroxide, a chemical compound that straightens curly hair. Oh, and it can also burn off your hair and scalp if not applied with extreme care, a point made multiple times throughout the film.
Rock watches as a six-year-old gets relaxer put in her hair.
Many weaves/extensions use real human hair, a fact that took Rock to India, the leading hair exporter in the world. The ultra-expensive weaves (which supposedly cost $1,000 and up) are the result of thousands of Indian women and men voluntarily shaving off their hair in a religious ritual. Since the film is supposed to solely be entertainment, Rock doesn't really get into the unseemly nature of someone profiting off the sacrifice of others.
The celebrities he interviews (including Nia Long, Raven-Symone, Maya Angelou, and Ice-T, among others) are alternately amused and taken aback about just how much Rock wants to know about their hair. These segments are probably the best in the film, as Rock is very much in his element among fellow stars. His time among regular people at barbershops and salons works to a point, though he seems to be forcing the issue at times.
Strangely, the least successful element is the one he and director Jeff Stilson keep going back to time and again. They follow four different stylists as they prepare to show off their skills at the Bronner Bros. convention. While their personalities are slightly heightened over the rest of the people in the film, none of them are as entertaining as Rock seems to think they are. The film culminates with their competition, and to say that the result is underwhelming is a big understatement.
Everything in Good Hair should be taken with a large grain of salt. While much of what Rock shows is based in reality, it's plainly obvious that he focused on the most outrageous parts in order to make people laugh. The comedy is hit-and-miss, but if you just do as the poster says and "Sit back and relax," you'll have a good time.
