Roland E. Zwick "The Village Barbershop" is a modest, unassuming little indie comedy set in the unusual locale of Reno, Nevada.Art Leroldi (the wonderful John Ratzenberger) is the cantankerous old-school barber whose business has fallen onto such hard times that he is at risk of losing the establishment that he and his recently deceased partner have run for many years. Against his better judgment, he hires a free-spirited young woman (the endearing Shelly Cole) to serve as both his accountant and fellow haircutter at the shop. At first, both Art and his conservative customers have a hard time adjusting to this frightening new-world-order of gender equality, but through her expertise with the scissors and the force of her personality, Gloria eventually manages to win them over to her side.Given this undeniably slight storyline, it's obvious that this movie was never going to exactly set the world on fire - but within the admittedly humble parameters that he's set for himself, writer/director Chris Ford has succeeded in creating a sweet and amusing regional comedy filled with sparkling performances and generous dollops of local color. Ratzenberger and Cole have charm and likability to spare, and their scenes together are played with understated warmth and humor. Their performances alone compensate for the occasional overindulgence in indie-brand quirkiness and feel-good sentimentality.A minor film but an enjoyable one.

supadude2004 Firstly full marks to the art director, camera man & camera crew, as this movie's production and art direction, given the subject matter, are unbelievably brilliant. Also of note is the movie's tasteful soundtrack; and its acting wasn't bad at all.The main problem with this movie is its screenplay. It sucked. In other words, all the other first class elements of this movie are totally let down by its screenplay and story. In fact, were it not for its most brilliant filming, the movie would scarcely be watchable. The movie's leads have such dire scripts and disengaging characters that it doesn't take long before the viewer is utterly disinterested in what will happen next.Thus the man who owns the eponymous barbershop is so devoid of anything equating to charm or basic manners that it's hard to swallow the fact that even one other character in the movie would want to have anything to do with him. For his job is supposedly in the service industry and yet I'm reasonably sure there are grave yard attendants who have more soul, charm and warmth. That would be fine, albeit, if the chief barber were at least given an interesting story for us to chew on while we, the viewers, plunder on, watching a man who is described half way through the movie as "a barker not a biter".Alas, those behind this movie clearly bit off far more than they could chew in developing a movie based on such an unlikeable and disengaging character.Screenplay 4/10. Filming & art direction 9/10. Soundtrack and music 8/10.

mathewalmaden This film tied for the audience award at Cinequest and this film was one of four films I managed to catch while at the festival. It's a decent little flick and the acting was fine, but for some reason every time I watch John Ratzenberger I can't help but think about Cliff from Cheers. Shelly Cole did an amazing job and I always liked her from Gilmore Girls. The story is supposed to take place in Reno, Nevada but the filmmakers use parts of Napa Valley to double which I could always tell which location they we're shooting in. In the end, it was just alright and semi- entertaining. The average film goer will probably like it.

Philip Anderson "Cheers" alumni John Ratzenberger stars as Art Leroldi, a grumpy barber who holds some personal issues of his past a bit too closely. When troubled times come, he is forced to hire Gloria, a female - something he never thought he'd do. Although she comes across a bit brashly at first, she ends up being his business mind that might save the day. Enter other characters along the way, that both add and disparage each of them, and the tale keeps the viewer watching. The filming was done well. The story is interwoven with subplots, and moves ahead at a good pace. The characters are interesting, and each has their own tale to tell, while intertwining with each other. For a first effort, director/writer Chris Ford strikes a winner with this piece. Expect great things in the future. Don't miss this flick though.