The Hairdresser (2010) User Reviews

is "german humor" an oxymoron ?

[moonbus-982-519398 · 5/10 · 21 February 2011]

An ex-East Berliner struggles with obesity and discrimination in capitalist unified Berlin. That's the basic idea. It is more of a time-capsule film than a plot-driven film. A semblance of tension is maintained by repeated applications of the what- could-possibly-go-wrong-next motif.

Is it funny? I think only a German might find it funny. I can well understand non- Germans finding it merely superficial and tedious. The film would have benefited from editing (several scenes are superfluous and could have been dropped--for example, the mysterious postal delivery). The lead, Gabriela Maria Schmeide, gives a fine and gutsy performance.

The theme of ex-East Germans suddenly confronted with unified Germany was done better in Good Bye Lenin.

For Germanic humor, I recommend Die Herbstzeitlosen aka Late Bloomers (which is actually Swiss, not German).

One of Dörrie's best

[Horst_In_Translation · 6/10 · 3 December 2015]

Doris Dörrie has been in the movie industry for decades and "Die Friseuse" / "The Hairdresser" is one of her recent works. She also wrote many of her films, but this one, she "only" directed. This came out 5 years ago and the title "Friseuse"/"Friseurin" is already a hint on this film's tone and it fits nicely that the protagonist says near the end she has always been a Friseuse, not a Friseurin. Too bad English-language speakers will not understand the difference (in culture) when it comes to how you call the profession. The film runs for 105 minutes and features Gabriela Maria Schmeide, also a fairly experienced actress who has been in many known famous films, as the title character. Schmeide really makes this one work. She is incredibly likable in here and nails pretty much all her funny and sad scenes. I am surprised she got no awards recognition for her effort here. Jördis Triebel is in here too and she is a really big star now here in Germany, one of the most respected actresses from her age group. The cast is definitely female-dominant. The only other actress (apart from Katharina Derr) I knew was Maren Kroymann who is the main antagonist this time and plays her part well as usual, especially in the very first scene when she is about to employ Schmeide's character.

In my opinion, this film started off really well. I liked the introduction to the character a lot, the way how she struggles with finding a job and consequently the scenes at the "Agentur für Arbeit". Schmeide played it well, but it was also well-written and funny on many occasions, such as the employee's hair color. Grey is only for men. Unfortunately, it got worse and a bit less interesting around the 45-minute mark and I thought this film was most interesting when it focused on the character's professional struggles. The story with her daughter was enough family for me and I certainly could have done without the Vietnamese guys and without the love story that resulted from this story-line. Yes this would have meant the film to run for only 85 minutes perhaps, but that's not a problem at all as it would have meant more/better focus. But I guess Dörrie really wanted to include that as many of her other films also include a multi-cultural impact. As a whole, I recommend this film. It's a good watch even if it does not stay as great as it started.

Another good movie by Doris Dörrie

[bernd-64 · 8/10 · 8 September 2010]

I am very astonished, when I read in a review that this movie is completely unfunny. As a German I consider this film to be quite funny and at the same time also reflective. It is a plot about people who are not on the sunny side of life. It is shown how they try to survive. The message is that this is easier with a positive spirit. And even when your acting is not completely legal you still remain a good hearted person. Some exaggerations are used to make this movie also funny. Obviously you need German humor to like this film. It is clear that it is difficult to translate the mood of this film into another language. There are many details which a viewer who is not familiar with German mentality and history may not understand.

God-awful

[mail-25 · 1/10 · 2 March 2010]

Hairdresser Kathi is fat but good-spirited. This is the plot. There is nothing else going on. Instead this movie tries to tell you very hard and very unconvincing that you're a winner if you're in a good mood and you smile everything away. Really. There's nothing going on there. Except a subplot about illegal vietnamese immigrants. Kathi helps them, they leave, nothing really happens between them, end of subplot. Oh yeah, and a subplot about her daughter who hates her mother. Suddenly, without apparent motive, she loves her. Then the little one leaves her mom behind for America - beside the fact that Kathi becomes seriously ill. At the end, Kathi is TOTALLY alone. Kathi doesn't seem to care, she stays optimistic. We don't know why. We do not care, either. Nothing works in this movie. Nothing - not even Kathi's business plan for her own hairdresser salon - makes ANY sense at all. And before you ask: All this is god-awful UNFUNNY!

A charming movie for grown-ups

[mikechinea · 10/10 · 4 August 2013]

If you are looking for a charming movie for grownups, DIE FRISEUSE (The Hairdresser) is well watching. Netflix has it and I don't know who else but it is worth looking for it. It touches just about every aspect of human life and whoever says Germans do not have a sense of humor hasn't seen this movie. Doris Dörrie took Laila Stieler's script, cast Gabriela Maria Schmeide as Kathi and created a wonderful film worth seeing more than once. These filmmakers were not afraid to deal with love, sexuality, bigotry, discrimination and racism in a real and compelling way. I was rooting for Kathi to succeed and the more she fell or was pushed down the more I rooted for her as she got up to go at it again. Might be too deep for the shallowness of some audiences but for me it was also a slap in the face to Hollywood conventions as if Doris Dorrie was trying to tell them, "This is how you make a movie". I love films that have a universal theme of humanity and that are told through a realistic dead pan sort of humor. This movie is set in Germany but it deals with the same issues most face every day, whether you're in Rome, East Los Angeles, Taipei, or London. It might help if you know a little bit of the culture and history of Germany before and after the Berlin wall fell to catch some of the subtle nuances sprinkler throughout but it is not necessary to enjoy this gem.

Multiculturalism/Fatso flic as boring as the winter sky in Germany

[peru1-595-630106 · 1/10 · 5 October 2013]

I went into this movie completely open minded in the mood for a comedy. If you find unbelievable things like a fat woman needing a rope to get out of bed funny this movie may be for you. Although I suppose that could have been for her MS too not at all clear /neither is funny.

Also early on it became obvious that they were using doubles for the nude scenes and ridiculous stuffing under the main actress's dress for the face scenes (seeing an implausible lumpy looking fat person in every other frame was supposed to be hilarious?)

Anyway about half way through I realized it was a complete dud about the time the multicultural feel good stuff started to spin. The old man at the nursing home masturbating didn't help things along either---how riotously humorous eh?

This thing is as boring and colorless as the winter sky in Northern Europe--at least as depicted in this movie. Germany is one my favorite countries this movie makes Berlin look like some sort of future dystopia.

The scenery was so drab and dreary I can't even give it my usual extra star for a foreign venue.

Even if you look at this thing as a character study movie rather than a comedy what character do we have? A woman who thinks a positive attitude changes every bad thing that can happen? It flops. Dull and boring like the character's life. The staged fake feel good PC multicultural stuff is like adding a root canal to this thing.

Achtung! Avoid!!!!

I was hooked in the first two minutes

[charmech · 8/10 · 25 November 2013]

The hairdresser, Kathi, is talking to a dowdy customer in the opening scene. She tries to persuade the woman to let her cut and color her hair in a rejuvenating style. Kathi is so warm and appealing that the customer opens up to her and they get into deep conversation. This scene enchanted me, Kathi has a great personality, and the actress portrays a truly human character, much more real that the stereotypes that commonly seen on the screen. There are interesting insights (for US viewers)into the welfare system in Germany. I enjoyed the humor, although not able to speak German. I don't like reading subtitles usually but this story really got to me. I needed to find out what happened next, would Kathi get her Beauty Shop running in the end, and what about the Vietnamese? Inspiring, feminist and entertaining.

Fat-bottomed girls you make the rocking world go round

[Pippi_langstrumpf · 8/10 · 25 February 2010]

Kathi is an unemployed hairdresser in Berlin. She is divorced and tries to scratch a living for herself and her daughter.

In a hypermarket she applies for a job as a hairdresser but she is told that they need someone "aesthetic", that is, no-one with a fat bottom or a flabby belly. This sets a whole series of events in motion when she tries to open her own shop, because that requires a business plan, venture capital etc.

This, of course, is not easy to obtain; however, setbacks do not prevent Kathi from trying and trying again. Attempting to make some money, she gets involved in smuggling Vietnamese people from Poland into Germany and has to host them in her little flat. And things go from bad to worse.

Nevertheless, she always fights her way back with optimism and charm. Even though this film shows life as difficult as it can be, the optimism this story exudes is contagious.

Definitely a feel-good movie for a rainy evening and a kick in the butt for anyone on the dole who does not even try to find work anymore.

Get It, Watch It

[KarenSantaFe · 8/10 · 31 July 2013]

A surprising gem of a film with a rye, dry sense of humor and a heroine we come to like and respect, because she likes and respects who she is. And that includes her body, which she brightly adorns, lovingly cleans, and supports as needed.

On a second viewing, I realized other assets of the character that I had over-looked the first time. She has clear boundaries, she won't be patronized, she's not afraid to look ridiculous in pursuit of her goal.

The love scene is both radical and beautiful. Humanistic. Sweet. I could do a whole essay on that and where it stands in the history of film, but won't bore you here.

A thoughtful, carefully rendered film with a rather profound message. I'll be looking for more from this creative group.

Great movie!

[catholicmami · 9/10 · 4 September 2013]

I really loved this movie. Subtitles and think German included. I won't go over the plot since that is mentioned in all the other reviews. It is a touching and real portrayal of an aging, overweight woman going through life with optimism and positivism. As a woman in my early forties and carrying too much on my bottom, I found it authentic and very relate-able. My mom is closer to this woman in age and personality and I saw her reflected in the portrayal given my the lead actress. I also live in an area close to where there is a very big Vietnamese population and it is quite a cultural experience which the movie addressed beautifully. All in all, the movie contains themes that many of us can identify with and will leave you inspired.

This is NOT meant to be hilarious

[katjoeus · 8/10 · 9 October 2013]

I don't understand why some of the reviewers go on about this movie not being funny - this clearly goes to show that they don't get it as it is NOT meant to be funny!! People who don't understand German will not understand this movie as the subtitles do not do it justice at all - non German native speakers should therefore refrain from writing reviews! This is a very good movie about the human condition; it shows how drab and difficult life is, esp. when you live in East Berlin and don't look like Claudia Schiffer (which is most of us!) Of course, if you're into Hollywood movies, you will be disappointed. In that case, I recommend you don't watch this movie.