Barberland

I expected this to be a mildly interesting human-interest piece but I found it more than mildly interesting, and in the span of less than an hour (not counting the terrific extras), I felt a real closeness to each of the barbers interviewed. The film covers lots of cool history of barbering that goes back to the days of (purposeful) blood-letting and the removal of teeth and stitches, and it also includes some humorous and eeeky stories of shaving mishaps and high-stress barber-school exams. Most enjoyable though, is the atmosphere and kibitzing that goes on in barbershops. If nothing else, this is a film about the lost art of conversation. There are lots of documentaries out there in recent years about the different parts of America's personal history that are being lost to gentrification and corporate monopolies. This is among the best of them. See this movie and them go out and support your local barber.