Movie Review: "Good Hair"

Seen on: October 8, 2009

The players: Director: Jeff Stilson, Writers: Chuck Sklar, Jeff Stilson, Lance Crouther, Chris Rock, Cast: Chris Rock, Maya Angelou, Sandra 'Pepa' Denton, Ice-T

Facts of interest: None.

The plot: Chris Rock tries to find out what good hair means in the African-American community and what people are willing to do to get the hair they want.

Our thoughts: In Jeff Stilson’s documentary “Good Hair,” Chris Rock heads out to explore the roots of African-American hairstyles and find the answer to his daughter Lola’s surprising question: “Daddy, how come I don’t have good hair?” The result is a both entertaining and informative doc filled with solid laughs and intriguing observations.

Chris Rock brings a lot of energy to the table in this humorous film, in which he dives into the depths of African-American hair culture to discover how “good hair” is really defined and how far people are willing to do to get the hair they want. His findings are quite extraordinary, and much to my surprise, there’s a whole lot I didn’t know about hair.

“Good Hair” follows Rock as he interviews many African-American celebrities and visits plenty of hair salons along the way, and I admit none of the stories we hear are in any way boring or repetitive. On the contrary, what these folks are saying is indeed quite eye-opening: black hair is a huge business, and it’s anything but cheap.

From the crazy cost and financial repercussions of importing human hair to the process of hair weaving and the dangers of overusing hair relaxers, Rock and his crew explore every aspect of this unusual phenomenon. It’s a highly entertaining exposé, really, and Rock is the perfect guy for the job.

Apart from a handful of hilarious conversations with clients and hairdressers, or interviews with Ice-T, Rave Symone, Rev. Al Sharpton and more, Rock also visits a massive hair convention that culminates in a battle of hair cuts, a competition during with a group of hair stylists put on a flashy show for a cash prize.

Also boosting the film’s pace is a short trip to India, where Rock investigates where the human hair for all the expensive weaving comes from. Of course, Rock also makes good use of his comedic talent, which comes in particularly handy in a segment during which he hits the streets to try and sell black hair.

Freaky quote: "So you are saying, your hair is addicted to relaxer?" – Chris Rock

The final word: “Good Hair” is a light comic documentary I found very easy to enjoy. It’s a film that explores an industry many of us don’t even know existed, and it does a great job uncovering why exactly people spend tons of money for the hair they want and what benefits it includes. This is one I can only recommend.

Article by Franck Tabouring