Blow Dry

"An outrageous new comedy for anyone who's ever had hair."

2001 1h 31m EN

😐

5.9

MID

★5.9TMDB · 155

ComedyDrama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

The annual British Hairdressing Championship comes to Keighley, a town where Phil and son Brian run a barbershop and Phil's ex-wife Shelly and her lover Sandra run a beauty salon.

“An outrageous new comedy for anyone who's ever had hair.”

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Cast

Alan Rickman
Phil Allen
Natasha Richardson
Shelley Allen
Rachel Griffiths
Sandra
Rachael Leigh Cook
Christina Robertson
Josh Hartnett
Brian Allen
Bill Nighy
Ray Robertson
Warren Clarke
Tony
Rosemary Harris
Daisy

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Paddy Breathnach
Writers: Simon Beaufoy, Cyrille Nomberg
Languages: English
Countries: Germany, United States of America, United Kingdom

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

25 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 3 countries: Germany, United States of America, United Kingdom.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Paddy Breathnach, shot by Cian de Buitléar. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Patrick Doyle. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Tony Lawson shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Alan Rickman and Natasha Richardson and Rachel Griffiths carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "An outrageous new comedy for anyone who's ever had hair.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0212380 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Paddy Breathnach directs. Cian de Buitléar behind the camera. Patrick Doyle scores. Tony Lawson cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in Germany, United States of America, United Kingdom. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

125 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
2International production across 3 countries: Germany, United States of America, United Kingdom.
3Directed by Paddy Breathnach, shot by Cian de Buitléar. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Patrick Doyle. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Tony Lawson shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Alan Rickman and Natasha Richardson and Rachel Griffiths carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "An outrageous new comedy for anyone who's ever had hair.".
8IMDB entry: tt0212380 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

The technical file

Cinematography: Cian de Buitléar
Original score: Patrick Doyle
Editing: Tony Lawson
Production design: Sophie Becher
Costume design: Rosie Hackett
Makeup / hair: Kevin Alexander
Sound: Tim Cavagin
Runtime: 91 min · 1h 31m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Box office: $637,769
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: Blow Dry (2001)

Also by

Paddy Breathnach

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Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2023-09-02
★ 6/10
Seeing that this is a film about high-end barbering, isn't it odd that Josh Hartnett's fringe looks as if it were cut by his eight year old niece? Anyway, the gist of this light-hearted comedy is set around a northern English town hosting the National Hairdressing Championships. It's got a strong cast of British stalwarts - Warren Clarke, Natasha Richardson and Alan Rickman all chipping in to keep the rivalries, love interests and coiffure-quips flowing relentlessly. It's one of those films that is as notable for the stereotypes it challenges - of both the cutting trade and of the attitudes of the folks in working class England - as it is for any of the on screen performances, and that helps keep the joke running fine. No, the writing won't be up for a Booker prize, nor will the acting trouble a BAFTA jury ever, but the film has a certain spirit and the characters are not afraid to poke fun at themselves, award ceremonies in general and even the normally dreadfully wooden Bill Nighy manages to support the somewhat under-used visiting Hollywood star who did genuinely seem to be enjoying the whole charade. It's not a bad effort, this - and keep an eye out for Heidi Klum, too!

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