JohnHowardReid
For me, Shampoo was a film that could not make up its mind as to what it wanted to discuss or represent. Is it a supposedly a feel-good comedy or a comedy or drama that exposes many obvious temptations and bad practices in the hair-dressing industry ? And anyway, do we really need an expose of low morals in the barber and hair dressing industry? I'm surprised that barbers and hair dressers have not attacked this film more vigorously. Admittedly, there were a few protests, but they were rather weak.I will agree that the movie is well acted and the characters seem very much like real people. So much like real people in fact that the film carries an "R" certificate from the censor. No doubt many people will find the movie amusing. And some others no doubt will be outraged. But frankly I found it both obnoxious and boring. As entertainment, it is far too lifelike for comfort. If I were rating it for its entertainment quality, I would give it close to zero.
Jackson Booth-Millard
I guessed this film would have something to hairdressing because of the obvious title that I heard a number of times, I was interested in watching mostly because of the good cast, directed by Hal Ashby (Harold and Maude, The Last Detail, Being There). Basically set during a 24-hour period in 1968, on the eve of the presidential election that would see Richard Nixon become President of the United States, it sees a day in the life of successful Beverly Hills hairdresser George Roundy (Golden Globe nominated Warren Beatty, also writing and producing). George's occupation and charisma have given him the perfect platform to meet and have sex many beautiful women, including his current girlfriend Jill (Golden Globe nominated Goldie Hawn), but he is dissatisfied with his professional life, he feels he is the creative star of the salon, playing second fiddle to owner Norman (Jay Robinson). George dreams of owning his own salon, but he lacks the money to do so, so he turns to his wealthy lover Jackie (Golden Globe nominated Julie Christie) and her unsuspecting husband Lester (Oscar and BAFTA nominated Jack Warden) to finance him, the situation is complicated by the secret that Lester's current mistress, Jackie, is George's former girlfriend, the most serious relationship he has ever had. Lester assumes that George is gay, he invites him to a Republican Party election night soiree, escorting Jackie, there the room is full of many of his present and former sexual partners, they later move on to a posh counterculture party, filled with drugs, alcohol and sexual indulgence. Lester and Jill catch George and Jackie having vigorous sex on the kitchen floor, Lester is impressed, but Jackie throws a chair at them, George tries to reconcile with Jill, while Jackie sees him for the rascal he is and flees. George realises he feels true love for Jackie, he proposes to her, by then it is too late, Jackie announces that Lester is divorcing his wife Felicia (Oscar winning, and Golden Globe nominated Lee Grant), who George has also been involved with, Lester will be taking her to Acapulco, George no longer has Jackie, Jill or Felicia, he realises his moral errors and has an epiphany, but it ultimately ends bleakly for him. Also starring Tony Bill as Johnny Pope, Carrie Fisher as Lorna, George Furth as Mr. Pettis, Ann Weldon as Mary, Randy Scheer as Dennis, Susanna Moore as Gloria, Mike Olton as Ricci, Luana Anders as Devra, William Castle as Sid Roth, Brad Dexter as Senator East, Howard Hesseman as Red Dog and Richard E. Kalk as Detective Younger. Beatty is good at being the sleazy and not easy to like hairdresser messing around with various women, Hawn is pretty and good at being innocent, Christie with her own English accent is likable as the woman who doesn't take nonsense, Warden is good in his time on screen, and I can see reasons why Grant would win the Oscar. I agree with critics that this film is amoral and has memorable moments of sorts, not just the sexual stuff, it grossed millions at the box office, but it didn't make me laugh much, and it doesn't quite have the same flair as other complicated relationship films, overall it is an average satirical comedy drama. It was nominated the Oscar for Best Writing, Original Screenplay and Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, and it was nominated the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical. Worth watching!
SmileysWorld
I did not enjoy this film.Perhaps it's because I have grown tired of sex comedies.Perhaps it's the fact that I've never really liked Warren Beatty as an actor.I'm not sure but of all the films I have viewed from the AFI's 100 Years 100 Laughs list (and I still have a few to go to date),this one is the least funny,so far.I didn't laugh at one single moment.Obviously,more than a few did and that's why it made the list.To each his own.Other than the fact that there are a few wonderful looking ladies in the cast,I can't say that I will ever revisit this film again.It's as i keep saying,it all depends on what makes one laugh.If this is your type of humor,go for it and enjoy,but I'm moving on and not looking back.
bigverybadtom
The Muppets TV show actually had such a joke: a TV reporter interviews a wig maker, and the reporter sniffs a wig and asks, "Don't you ever use shampoo on them?" Replies the wig maker, "No we only use real poo." I am not making this up.If you thought the joke was childish, try this movie. Ironically enough, I rented it on the basis that it was mentioned as a good movie by none other than the infamous film snob Pauline Kael. I figured that if she recommends a movie, it therefore has to be great. But I got disabused of this notion fast.The story is about a hairdresser (presumed to be gay, ha-ha) who is sleeping with a number of girlfriends. I was expecting a bedroom farce, but the laughs were nonexistent. The story takes place on Election Eve in 1968, but that seems unrelated to the story. Perhaps the movie was meant to be a social satire, but I missed what the target was.The movie is not only unfunny, it's slow-moving and boring. We find no reason to like or relate to the hairdresser. But when it is revealed he is sleeping both with a woman AND her daughter simultaneously, that was too repulsive and we switched it off. The hairdresser isn't merely a womanizer, he's a genuine creep. We didn't care what would happen to him in the end, we wanted nothing more to do with him.
