The Barber (2001)

User Rating:

5.7/10   

Director:

Michael Bafaro

Writers:

Michael Bafaro (written by) &
Warren Low (written by)

Genre:

Crime | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

Next?

Plot:

A weary town faces a long, dark winter. |

Plot Keywords:

Winter | FBI Agent | Narrator | Murder Investigation | Shot In The Back

Awards:

2 wins & 7 nominations

Cast

Malcolm McDowell	...	Dexter Miles
Jeremy Ratchford	...	Sheriff Corgan
Garwin Sanford	...	Agent Crawley
Brenda James	...	Sally
Paul Jarrett	...	Everett
Erin Wright	...	Jewels
Philip Granger	...	Levi
C. Ernst Harth	...	Buffalo
John B. Destry	...	Cecil (as John Destry)
David Abbott	...	Halstrom
Arnie Walters	...	Paddy
Ralph J. Alderman	...	Farley (as Ralph Alderman)
Vince Murdocco	...	Agent Rayner
Gary Hetherington	...	Jim
Michael Kopsa	...	Father Stiffler

Also Known As:

Le barbier (Canada: French title)

MPAA:

Rated R for language and some violence.

Runtime:

94 min

Country:

Canada | UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Netherlands:12 | Australia:M | Canada:18A (Canadian Home Video rating) | USA:R | Germany:16 | Iceland:16

Filming Locations:

Revelstoke, British Columbia, Canada

Company:

Prophecy Entertainment

Goofs:

Errors in geography: When the FBI agent goes to the police station after sleeping with Jewels, he walks by a mailbox. Although this film was filmed in Canada it is supposed to be set in Alaska. That mailbox is red which is a Canadian mailbox not an American mailbox.

Quotes:

Chief Vance Corgan: So, did you two lovebirds have a little domestic dispute?
Levi Gansby: A domes... a domestic what?
Chief Vance Corgan: A fight? A quarrel?
'Buffalo' Sedwick: No, we was just drinkin', y'know, bein' off-time and all. And we just gotta little outta sorts, y'know?
Levi Gansby: We tripped - that's all, we just tripped.
Chief Vance Corgan: Is that the truth, Buffalo? Did ya trip?
'Buffalo' Sedwick: Yeah, we tripped when we found the body cause, y'know, it scared us pretty good.
Chief Vance Corgan: So, you didn't see anything else? Just the body?
'Buffalo' Sedwick: No, we... we just... we just saw the body. I mean, well, I mean, uh, there mighta been some footprints, but... you probably drove over them comin' out here.
[...]

Soundtrack:

Take It As It Comes

The Barber is a cut above

This movie has so much going for it. I've seen it several times and still can't get enough. There's a cougar, eccentric townfolk, hunters and the barber everyone knows. The Barber has some great humour, surprises and suspense all performed by a talented cast brought to life through a very smart script.

Buffalo and Levi, like Lemmon and Matthau on crack, make me laugh out loud every time. Philip Granger's Levi is deliciously lecherous and C. Ernst Harth's Buffalo is his simple yet sincere sidekick. John Destry's Cecil, the long suffering widower is a man very familiar with the edge of sanity. The troubled Chief Corgan is superbly portrayed by Jeremy Ratchford with Paul Jarrett as his sidekick, Everett. Malcolm McDowell, perfectly cast as Dexter Miles, is at his creepy best, I've always loved his voice so the fact that he narrates this movie is a real treat for me.

The story begins on the last day of daylight in Revelstoke, Alaska, finding the townsfolk preparing themselves for the dark season. Jim's Chat & Chew is the local gathering spot in the day hours with the Liquor Pig being the favorite haunt at night, somewhere in the middle, the residents of this quiet town cross paths with the barber, some getting more than they bargain for.

The lighting, scenery and atmosphere combined with the music fits so very perfectly with the story and the cast to make this a very watchable movie. Highly recommended.