Tom is a celebrity hairdresser in Berlin although its been years since he picked up a pair of scissors, he is also considered an important role model in the local gay community. Nowadays he is focusing on launching a range of haircare products that carry his name. His outrageously handsome boyfriend/partner takes care of the business end even though that means cozying up to the annoying closeted man who is providing all the finance. Tom’s products are strictly for men as he is a very committed misogynist and so is somewhat thrown off kilter when the Money Man insists he has a photo shoot with a woman which somehow leads to an on-the-spot decision to insist that Tom make products for women too. The fact that the decision is based on the unlikely opinion of Heidi a scatty hairdresser in a shabby suburban Salon which for some totally inexplicable reason had been the chosen location of the launch photo shoot, simply does not add up.
On the other hand very little in this very long 104 minutes makes any real sense at all. It is in fact one of those preposterous unfunny comedies that may have possibly seemed a good idea one brainstorming night when ideas were in much shorter supply than the alcohol. I lost count of all the gay cliches and stereotypes crammed into the story as the director made sure to cover literally all the bases.
Tom is forced to go work in the Salon to discover what women want (!) so he dons a very bad wig (?) and promptly falls in love with Heidi!!!!! Whilst I am happy to take onboard the notion that some people’s sexuality is fluid, there was not one single convincing reason why this pampered urban effeminate cultured gay man would fall for one of the very same gender that he abhorred, especially when there was hardly a glimpse of any chemistry between the two ‘love birds’.
Even more disappointing considering that this is the work of openly gay German filmmaker Marco Kreuzpaintner who was responsible for ‘Summer Storm’ which was a big favorite with audiences 10 years ago. He does at least give us some good eye candy with some hotties like Kostja Ullmann from ‘Summer Storm’ and Hanno Koffler from ‘Free Fall.’ It’s just such a pity that he didn’t give them something better to show their talents off in.I’m not sure about ‘coming in’ per se, but in this particular instance you will probably prefer to really be out. Literally.
