Plot so thin, it passes unnoticed.

Not even bad in a good way

What begins as a feel-good-human-interest story turns into a mystery, then a tragedy, and ultimately an outrage.

The biggest problem with this movie is it’s a little better than you think it might be, which somehow makes it worse. As in, it takes itself a bit too seriously, which makes most of the movie feel kind of dull.

"The Hairdresser's Husband" is made with such sincerity it is the only way to respond to it, so I'll start with a confession.I knew and dated many girls in my life and a few relationships reached the intimate level nothing original or to brag about so far. But among this gallery of female players in the scenery of my life, some of them fully satisfied personal fantasies. Let's say that I loved them on the basis of my personal idealization of the female body or personality. Fantasy-wise, they were just perfect but in each case, I gave the relationship up, surrendering to wisdom (I thought) and that became my motto "one cannot build his life on a fantasy". Was I true to myself or was I calling the grapes sour because I didn't have the guts to go as far the depths of my psyche were driving me to? I don't know. I'm just having a "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" marathon and as incongruous as the mention of "The Hairdresser's Husband" would feel among these titles, it's not that different. The film, directed by Patrice Leconte, is also about a man who surrenders to passions and goes as far as he can in order to fulfill his fantasy. And he builds a happy life on it.The man is Antoine, and he's played by Jean Rochefort who has just left the world a few days ago, and ever since his first sensual experience with a female hairdresser, he knew what he was born to do: marry one. Talk about a ludicrous premise! Yet there's never a moment where we have contempt for his choice, this is a film made with sincerity indeed. And yes, sexual tension is never as palpable as when you're a child because it is a time where you can't put words in what happens to your mind. When the eyes of Antoine cross this magnificent, round and voluptuous figure of a woman bosom, the epiphany hits him, nothing will ever be more sensual and perfect that this experience, so that will define his life.And his determination pays off when, as an adult, he goes to the hairdresser's shop, whose new owner is the beautiful Mathilde (Anna Galiena), she's alone and he immediately asks her to marry him, she doesn't answer. Two weeks later, she says 'yes'. The film doesn't tell us what she finds in him, why she accepted the marriage, because it has more serious things to deal with: passion, love and sensuality. It is possible that the beautiful hairdresser felt desired by Antoine, and Jean Rochefort's performance is a masterpiece of subtlety, you can see his magnificent blue eyes drawing Anna Galiena's body just by staring at her, it's not just love, it's completeness, possession, perfection. AndGaliena does more than acting, she acts as a presence, candidly existing through her husband's idealization, and the 'less' she does, the more we idealize her, too. Where do they live? Probably in some Southern town where it's always sunny, a sun that almost sanctifies the beauty of Anna Galiena, an eternal virgin inspiring a passion that never fades. A few customers come, some are the occasions of a few chit-chat, some marital arguments, a kid doesn't want to have his hair cut but Antoine entertains him with some crazy oriental dance, and then you have the splendid sequence were Galiena washes a man's hair and since his eyes are closed because of the soap, Antoine can caress her legs and lay his head on her behind. This is a masterpiece of sensuality, something that doesn't rely on twerking and humping or explicit sex. The tag-line says it better, it's sexier than a dozen "Basic Instinct". That's how the whole experience feels like; a magnificent dream in a heaven-like improbable place that reassembled all the fantasy, it's a sexual reverie that says a great truth about men, subconscious isn't just about shameful stuff. Lust can be delicious. At one point, Antoine says he doesn't need friends or family (and it's true they seem to be self-sufficient) he was dedicated to an idea, an ideal, a fantasy for some, a heaven for another. And the directing of Patrice Leconte embraces the film's poetry with such boldness it reminded of a "Field of Dreams", another movie that reached some level of perfection. The film made Ebert and Siskel's Top 10 lists of 1992 and if you watch them talking about it, you can see a sparkle in their eyes, they conclude the show with some innocent smiles inspiring Siskel's comment: "we're like little boys". It's true this film reveals the little boy inside of us, it's even a leitmotif as it starts with a boy dancing to oriental music. When Rochefort engages in these dances, he doesn't fool any audience, he can't dance, but it's the little boy inside him who's dancing, clueless and careless about what we thing. The little boy who wanted to be a hairdresser and became one, when Maria says "yes", it's not Rochefort smiling but his younger counterpart. The man seems entrapped in his fantasy but he's probably freer than any other man, he's the happiest person in the whole film. I won't spoil the ending, but maybe the message is that we shall never underestimate the power of the child inside us even when it comes to adult matters. 'The Hairdresser's Husband" is about a man who found inner happiness by sticking to some twisted vision inherited from childhood. That he lived happily by that makes the question about its validity pointless. In other words, we don't want to be hairdresser's husbands, but wouldn't we love to be happy?Fully satisfied?And confident that we've made the right choice?I don't regret my marital choices but I would lie if I said I never thought of any of my "fantasy" adventures... and some are still 'obsessing me'.

This simple history is at the same time; funny (those wool bathing suits), sad (poetry, here, is sadness), amusing (that mesmerizing Arab dance) and moving (extreme love story). You feel your heart caught all the running time. It's a great example how to represent in cinema what's true love. A couple alone with themselves and their love. Nothing else needed, nothing else missed. As Antoine says: "No friends, no sons, nobody, just us". Even that's not accurate, but it's as they feel it. A very beautiful movie that let you at the end shuddered and melancholic...and envious of what the characters have had the luck to live. A must see. Absolutely recommended for romantic people. 8'5/10

This film is an artistic, sensitive, and very sensual portrayal of two people who fall in love. Part of the joy is watching their clearly-etched characters mesh and blend. This is done so well that no one could believe they are lovers off screen. We ride along with them, and remember our feelings of longing for love, realizing love, and finally, hoping never to lose it. Some people are disappointed with the end, though for anyone who has ever been in love and finds that passion, completely realized, has no where to go but into sadness and loss, this movie works. When one has achieved perfect bliss, the only thing that can follow would be disappointment and, ultimately, death.

An old man has always dreamed of marrying a hairdresser. Although presumably he has lived a normal non-hermit life, the old man finally thinks of starting a real-life relationship with a young, shapely, lady hairdresser. He begins the effort by bluntly asking her to marry him. Of course, she says yes and now he can live out his life dream of watching a lady hairdresser cut hair in public, and then often touching her all over as she cuts other men's hair in moments her body is hidden from the view of the customers inside the shop. Once the hot towel covers the client's face, her panties are torn and fall on the floor. However, those who walk past the nearly all-glass store-front are sure to get an eye full.This film is self-indulgent fantasy scene, after self-indulgent fantasy scene, after self-indulgent fantasy scene. This movie is pure unreal, fantastic self-indulgence!. As if! This is a good fantasy movie for dumpy old men with giant egos. It may be possible that President Clinton wrote this script."Le Mari de la coiffeuse" is also one of many French movies putting adult sexual lust in the minds of 7-year-old child characters. In French films, lust is for those under 10 or over 60. As if.