Barbershop: The chick version.

The Salon
Directed By: Mark Brown
Starring: Vivica A. Fox, Darrin Dewitt Henson, Kym Whitley, Garrett Morris, and Terrence Howard
Releasing: May 2007
Rating: PG-13
Running time: min.

Director/writer Mark Brown, who wrote both Barbershop installments and directed Two Can Play That Game back in 2001 takes a cut at another barber like flick, adding a more female lovey dovey edge to the mix with The Salon, an adaptation to the earlier play entitled Beauty Shop.

Jenny (Vivica A. Fox), a single mom of a six year old who is struggling to keep her ghetto Baltimore beauty shop business up and running (accompanied by a bunch of black sistas, a few whites, a gay dude, and a straight dude who appears to have walked on to the wrong movie set) while also balancing out all the other calamities life has to offer for those in her shoes. But darn it she just keeps on puttin away with her everlasting positive attitude and good natured spirit to guide her through while also pleasing and maintaining her small clientele. But wait! To add to her normal everyday struggles, she finds out by lawyer/love interest (can those two words go together?) Michael, played by Darren Hensen, that her salon is potentially doomed to become a parking lot in the not too distant future. It’s a hard knock life. What’s a poor young hottie single mother ghetto salon owner in love with a lawyer to do in such unfortunate circumstances?

Not much to say about this one. The biggest problem with this movie was the fact that it was filmed three years ago consisting of Anna Nicole admiration and references to J-Lo and Ben Affleck affairs. Much of the dialogue and subplots are clichéd obviously involving all the blacks and whites, gays and straights jokes and insults. However, it could be worse and have the label of “written and produced by Ice Cube” in the credits.

Vivica A. Fox is the only actress noteworthy in this film that really carries her leading role with charm, talent and homeliness, a complete opposite from her previous Kill Bill status. I was surprised how well she held her weight considering she hadn’t done many, if any lead roles up to this point. At that, Terrance Howard holds his weight but is nowhere near as effective as a jerk boyfriend auto mechanic. Had this film had been made after his whole Hustle and Flow reign he would be nowhere to found in this low budget Barbershop that didn’t even nearly emphasize on his role in any way shape or form.

Overall, those sensitive to the black/white, gay/non-gay cracks and discussions by those leaning on the more bias and less than intelligent mindset or who despised the earlier Barbershop installments may want to sit this one out. Those opposite will most likely enjoy it, and I must say although it didn’t knock my socks off, I was surprisingly entertained for the most part, which is the whole purpose behind movies in the first place I once heard somewhere. Just don’t expect Roots caliber by any means.