The Hairdresser's Husband (1990)

Antoine has always been fascinated with a hairdresser's delicate touch, the beguiling perfume and the figure of a woman with an opulent bosom, moreover, he knew that he would marry one, fulfilling his dream of a perfect and idealised love.

Director:

Patrice Leconte

Writers:

Claude Klotz, Patrice Leconte

Stars:

Jean Rochefort, Anna Galiena, Roland Bertin

Nominated for 1 BAFTA Film Award. Another 1 win & 7 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jean Rochefort	...	Antoine
Anna Galiena	...	Mathilde
Roland Bertin	...	Antoine's father
Maurice Chevit	...	Ambroise Dupré dit Isidore Agopian
Philippe Clévenot	...	Morvoisieux
Jacques Mathou	...	Julien Gora
Claude Aufaure	...	Gay Costomer
Albert Delpy	...	Donecker
Henry Hocking	...	Antoine - Age 12
Ticky Holgado	...	Morvoisieux Son-in-Law
Michèle Laroque	...	Adopted Child's Mother
Anne-Marie Pisani	...	Madame A. Sheaffer
Pierre Meyrand	...	Antoine's Brother
Yveline Ailhaud	...	Antoine's Mother
Julien Bukowski	...	Gloomy Man

Storyline

Twelve-year-old Antoine falls profoundly in love with a voluptuous but suicidal hairdresser, a formative experience he never forgets. Much later in life, he seeks to repeat his romance by marrying Mathilde - also voluptuous and also a hairdresser - with whom he forms an intimate and consuming relationship in an attempt to blot out the miseries of this world from their lives.

---

Plot Keywords:

hairdresser | love | barber | barber shop | nonlinear timeline | 

---

Taglines:

Joyously Sexy, Genuinely Erotic.

---

Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for sexuality

Details

Country:

France

Language:

French Arabic

Release Date:

3 October 1990 (France)

Also Known As:

The Hairdresser's Husband

Filming Locations:

Studios 91 Arpajon, Saint-Germain-les-Arpajon, Essonne, France

Box Office

Gross USA:

$1,155,800

Company Credits

Production Co:

Lambart Productions, TF1 Films Production, Centre National de la Cinématographie (CNC)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

82 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film is included on Roger Ebert's "Great Movies" list.

---

Goofs

When Mathilde shampoos the bearded customer, the hand holding the water sprayer changes between shots.

---

Quotes

Antoine's father: [Angry about the older brother] If you start small, you end small... And you? What'll you do later on?
Antoine - Age 12: Later on, I'll marry a hairdresser.

---

Crazy Credits

Mille Baisers à Paco, Elle Sait Pourquoi.

---

Connections

Featured in Siskel & Ebert: The Best Films of 1992 (1993)

User Reviews

a bittersweet and magical look at obsession

I love this film probably because it seems to be the kind of movie that would never get made in the US. It not only seems to be foreign, it seems otherworldly. The musical interludes featuring the bizarre movements of Jean Rochefort are worth many repeat viewings. (I own a copy of this video.) The movie looks at obsession and the transitory nature of relationships in a bittersweet and magical way.