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MovieMail's Review
When asked how he proposed to follow Monsieur Hire's international success, Patrice Leconte said he'd like to tell the story of a boy whose sole ambition in life is to marry a hairdresser, an idea he considered far too vague to amount to anything filmable. But, encouraged by his producer's unexpected enthusiasm, Leconte fleshed out The Hairdresser's Husband, adding little to the original wispy concept, but sustaining interest through a masterly control of mood, abetted by Eduardo Serra's sun-drenched widescreen photography and Michael Nyman's elegant score, interspersed with catchy Arab dance numbers.
Antoine's erotic awakening occurs at twelve, while having his hair cut by a buxom coiffeuse, but his reverie is cut short both by his father's hostile reaction and her unexpected demise. Many decades later, well into middle age (and now played by hangdog Jean Rochefort, Terry Gilliam's would-be Don Quixote), he impulsively proposes marriage to Mathilde (Anna Galiena), after her way with scissors and lotion reawakens these early memories. She accepts, and they turn her salon into a private sensual universe, only occasionally interrupted by customers whose eccentricity matches their own.
Leconte tantalisingly refuses to let slip anything other than the most basic information, leaving the film open to numerous interpretations, the most plausible of which is that much of it is Antoine's fantasy, and it may even be the teenage Antoine at that. This would explain Mathilde's implausible passivity and her melodramatic fate, her lack of concern for such mundane matters as financial security (Mathilde never seems to charge her clients), an atmosphere of blissed-out languor that's undisturbed by even the most appalling tragedy and a constant dwelling on the importance of seizing the moment, of never growing old and jaded. Wong Kar-Wai fans will recognise a kindred spirit, though Leconte's film predates virtually all his work.
From an early age, Antoine's enthusiasm for having his hair cut has been aided by a voluptuous hairdresser, who also happens to introduce him to sex. Of such experiences are obsessions born. In his middle age he meets and marries a shy hairdresser, eventually moving into her salon. A beautifully eccentric comedy with an enigmatic central performance from Rochefort.
Delicate eroticism, beautifully judged writing, impeccable acting – all of these things are the hallmark of these gems directed by Patrice Leconte. The other ingredien... more >
Delicate eroticism, beautifully judged writing, impeccable acting – all of these things are the hallmark of these gems directed by Patrice Leconte. The other ingredient, of course, is perfectly judged black humour, and Leconte never allows this to unbalance the other elements. < less
Sensual is so right! I want to get a Northern Standard copy so I can view with my spouse. Have not forgotten this wonderful film from viewing a few years ago. Beautifu... more >
Sensual is so right! I want to get a Northern Standard copy so I can view with my spouse. Have not forgotten this wonderful film from viewing a few years ago. Beautiful! A simple film that says so much! When I tell people about it, I always tell them that I've not seen so much passion/compassion between a husband and wife in many films. This one will stay with me forever. < less
A perfect little film, unimprovable, especially the acting by all concerned. Intense but never heavy. Rochefort, contrary to appearance, is a convincing sensualist. more >
A perfect little film, unimprovable, especially the acting by all concerned. Intense but never heavy. Rochefort, contrary to appearance, is a convincing sensualist. < less
.jpg "The Hairdresser's Husband Film Still")
