Barbershop: Review By bcloutier

In a given week I probably watch 10 or 15 movies, what can I say I have a lot of free time on my hands. Some are good, many are bad, and a few are, in my opinion, worthy of review and discussion. Fortunately I am lucky enough to have this public forum to voice such opinions.Today I was sitting on my beaten couch tying to soak up every last bit of the experience that is Cameron Crowe's masterpiece Untitled DVD. Alas though as much as I hold this film near and dear to my heart my mind was still stuck in a darkened theater with a movie I saw last night. Barbershop was the culprits name and I am here to sing its praises.When you say the name Ice Cube to me I think of two things, the rap group NWA and the now classic Friday. Now, I am a fan of his music, and of Friday. But like most people I never seem to think of him as an actor. Sure he had some good moments in Three Kings but both Anaconda and Ghosts of Mars were bad. I guess what I'm trying to get across is that in my mind Ice Cube had done nothing to separate his acting career from his music career. To date I had not seen a role that made me say, "wow he is actually an actor." As of 9:35 last night all that changed. The lights came up in the theater and I sat in my seat contemplating the rise of Ice Cube "the actor".In Barbershop Ice Cube plays Calvin the owner of the titular Barbershop. He inherited the shop from his father and now must decide to either keep running it or sell it to a local bad man who wants to turn it into a "gentleman's club". That is the basic premise of the story. We are treated to a "day in the life" story about the barbershop as an institution and the neighborhood that surrounds it. There are many subplots including broken hearts, stolen ATM machines, and unrequited love among others. And that's what makes this movie so engaging. The creators were smart enough to layer the story and give it a setting that is rich in texture and life. Each character feels real, all of them have stories to tell and they make us, as viewers want to hear them.An important part of this films charm comes from the cast. Ice Cube, Sean Patrick Thomas, hell even Eve (yes the rapper) are wonderful and really bring their characters to life. There is a surprise waiting for you. With all this great talent surrounding him Cedric the Entertainer flat out steals the film. Cedric may be one of the funniest men working in entertainment today. More than that though is the endearing quality his brings to his role. His character makes you feel what the Barbershop represents in the community. He gives you a sense of history. Simply put his is the heart and sole of the Barbershop and quite frankly I think of the entire film.Sure there were flaws in the film, I wouldn't want you thinking it was perfect. But this is the kind of film that makes you forget about them. Tim Story does an excellent job directing his first big effort and I look forward to seeing what he has in store for future projects. Barbershop is one of the best films out there so far this year. Not only is it funny, but its also strangely affecting. Long after I watched it I was left musing and pondering its characters and the world they inhabit. I recommend highly you do not miss the chance to see this film in the theater.Oh, and mark this down, Barbershop is a huge step up for Ice Cube and we should be seeing a whole new level of films from him after this. Of course we'll have to suffer through the soon to be released Friday After Next this Christmas but I'm not counting that one.