The Hairdresser's Husband

This is a movie made in France in 1990 by the veteran director Patrice Leconte. I had been searching for it for a little while after reading good things about it in a book- there are many classics I have yet to see but the mention of this particular film interested me. Jean Rochefort plays the older man who never lets go of his childhood wish of marrying a hairdresser, and Anna Galiena plays the hairdresser who makes his wish finally come true. The roles are beautifully played by the two leads; Rochefort is endearingly hangdog, his eyes betraying both sadness and curiosity, while Galiena is radiant and understanding, a character to fall in love with.
The film is about a lot of things; the wonderment of youth, the idea that your youthful aspirations can persist a lifetime, the parts that make relationships endure and the way that life recycles. Like Girl on the Bridge builds itself round the profession of knife throwing, The Hairdresser's Husband is built around hairdressing. The film is especially sensual, evoking the strange sensation of fingers through your hair, the smell of the salon scents and for a young boy, the curious sights of an older woman. Much of the film is shot in a warm, bright glow, and there is a rich, evocative score by Michael Nyman that contributes to the film's dreaminess. The hazy flashbacks of childhood meld seemlessly into the film, giving new insight into Rochefort's character.

I thought it was a lovely film, free spirited, illuminating the bright moments in life and sometimes the darker moments, and greatly enjoyable.