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BARBERSHOP
"'Barbershop' is as warm as it is wise,
deftly setting off uproarious humor with an underlying seriousness
that sneaks up on the viewer, providing an experience that is richer
than anticipated...A lively and endearing cast is headed by Ice
Cube, in an impressively understated performance as Calvin, the
hard-pressed proprietor of a Chicago barbershop." --
Kevin
Thomas, The Los Angeles Times
"'Barbershop' is a warm, generous comedy that takes place on a single
winter day in Chicago... The movie's quiet affirmation of neighborhood
values gives it an honest, lived-in glow. The comic caricatures are
at times a bit tired and schematic, and there are a few too many conflicts
to be satisfyingly resolved in the course of a single day...I've seen
better movies recently, but it's been a long time since I've left
one feeling the easy, full-bellied happiness this one evoked." --
A.O. Scott, The New York Times
"The film is ungainly in construction but graceful in delivery...
I could have done without both of the subplots and simply sat there
in Calvin's Barbershop for the entire running time, listening to these
guys talk.There is a kind of music to their conversations, now a lullaby,
now a march, now a requiem, now hip-hop, and they play with one another
like members of an orchestra. The movie's so good to listen to, it
would even work as an audio book." -- Roger
Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
"The kind of blue-chip values promoted here are nothing new to audiences
of 'Soul Food' and 'Men of Honor'... And the plot is one of straight-up,
be-true-to-your-roots responsibility...The earnestness is leavened,
however, by some of the airy funkiness of Ice Cube's earlier 'Friday'
comedies. And the mixed-up rhythms of the story rescue 'Barbershop'
from bland goodness." -- Lisa Schwarzbaum,
Entertainment Weekly
"The ensemble comedy 'Barbershop' combines big laughs, a big heart
and thoroughly winning characters to become the first big surprise
of the fall season...The performances, the zinger-filled dialogue
and the astute direction by Tim Story transform what could have been
a tired collection of stereotypes into a smart piece of entertainment
that transcends its setting. 'Barbershop' may speak most specifically
to the experience of inner-city blacks, but its humor is as inclusive
as it is infectious." -- Lou Lumenick,
The New York Post
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