Four out of
Five stars
Running time:
96 mins
A surprisingly restrained Chris Rock presents this entertaining documentary which takes a close look at the lengths to which African-American women go to in an effort to achieve Good Hair.
What’s it all about?
Chris Rock is a man on a mission. Having been told by one of his young daughters that she wants to undergo expensive treatments to achieve the ideal of Good Hair, a term defined by African-American women as a hairstyle that involves either painful chemicals or time-consuming weave processes, Rock sets off to get to the bottom of the industry. His unexpected journey takes him to the glitz and glamour of the Bronner Brothers annual hair convention in Atlanta via a series of celebrity talking heads and a moving trip to India. It’s an industry worth billions and is promoted by all forms of media, but as ever there is someone who pays the price at the end of the consumer chain.
The Good
A well-paced and entertaining look at a big business, the documentary is driven by the presence and charismatic force of Chris Rock. He is clearly at ease with all the people he interviews and manages to get them to divulge personal details that they might not otherwise give. The showbiz talking heads make for an excellent foil, and the film cleverly weaves (no pun intended) them into the rest of the film.
The look at the trade in India is well handled, demonstrating that a lot of the hair for sale in the US comes from young girls whose heads are often completely shaved for very little money. The focus on some of the other extremes that women, and some men, will go to is not glossed over either. There’s also the welcome input from Rock who knows just when he’s needed.
The Bad
It feels, at times, as if there are two different types of documentary going on side by side. Whilst Rock manages to straddle both the more personally emotive sequences and high octane competition scenes well, the story being told lurches from one to the other and the scenes are just too different in terms of tone to keep us fully focussed on either. Fortunately, though, by the end of the film the intended message still comes through.
Worth seeing?
Regardless of how, or if, having Good Hair directly effects you, the film will engage you. A cut above most documentaries.