| Overall Grade: |
B |
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| Story: |
B |
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| Acting: |
B- |
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| Direction: |
B |
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| Visuals: |
A |
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Hair today, Hair tomorrow
by Yahoo! Movies User (movies profile)
Sep 14, 2004
5
of
6 people found this review helpful
Hair is more than an exuberant movie conversion of the musical that shocked a nation.
Milos Forman, who also directed "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest" and "Amadueus" brings an eye for detail and development that the stage show lacked. The plot of a hick encountering the counter-revolution, and finding love,and Love, and finally sacrifice, is comic, tragic, meaningful, and above all, joyous in its affirmation of life.
The casting does not always seems to work -John Savage in particular seems ill at ease - yet many of the cast were here for their musical talent- it is a recorded fact that Madonna tried to audition and failed- for example Dan Dacus who plays blonde hippy Woof has never developed an acting career, but has had a very successful one in music, he went from here to join the band Chicago.
While Hair is not the best of Forman's work- it is a little weak in the middle section- it is a bold and mainly successful attempt to be more than just a musical. It does work as entertainment: there are moments of pure joy, and by the end of the film you are left aware that the end of the 60s was more than just a big love-in. As a lesson in the lesons of the Sixties it is successful and really quite a radical film given that it is a muscial - especially as it was shot at the beginning of the 80's.
Above all Hair has excelent musical performances coupled with professionalism: the cinematography by Milos Forman's regular cinematographer Miroslav Ondricekand of New York's Central Park, and Utah (It is actually California) is one of the best features of the film. Twyla Tharp's choreography is also at all times imaginative, and multifaceted.
Hair just about stands the test of time due to its pedigree, it is definitely worth a look even if musicals are not your thing- it will refresh your soul. |
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