Vidal Sassoon: The Movie

If one believes writer-director Craig Teper's would-be hagiography, British hair stylist Vidal Sassoon “changed the world with a pair of scissors.” Never mind that Sassoon didn't actually invent anything—his 1960s hairdos were largely inspired by the 1920s bob made famous by Hollywood stars Louise Brooks and Colleen Moore. However, Sassoon does deserve credit for taking full-throttle self-promotional marketing to new heights. In fact, his talent for publicity made him a brand name at a time when London was the global center for all things fashionable (British designer and fashion icon Mary Quant offers commentary here), and he eventually carried his brand name across the Atlantic, expanding beyond his highly touted New York salon with an extravagantly promoted line of hair care products. Unfortunately, this tiresome documentary is overloaded with current and former employees and old-time business partners who repetitively insist that Sassoon is the most amazing person on the planet. Some of the more interesting aspects of his life, including a stint with the Haganah during the Israeli war of independence, are only briefly mentioned. Sassoon himself doesn't help matters in his appearances here (watching him doing yoga stretches and swimming laps at his Beverly Hills mansion is not terribly insightful). An unsatisfying portrait, this is not a necessary purchase. (P. Hall)