Shampoo is a film that can be fun and inviting even after several viewings,and it's the skillful direction that keeps the film at an easy pace, and flowing. Director Ashby finds the stillness of these rambunctious characters at different moments in time, and projects their hidden integrity with curious nuance and texture. Personally, I love film's where its narrative is set within a reasonably compacted amount of time (i.e. Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf, Halloween) because, A) the plot and people within become immensely compelling, and exciting, and B) the arc and/or climax of the film is usually something of a doozie. Shampoo's players are always up to one thing or another, and it ends up becoming one helluva of a 48 hours for them all. Set on election eve 1968, the film perfectly captures the craziness of those groovy hippie times, filled with hidden (and expressed) sexuality, the power and restraints of one's actions, and finding out what the real world is all about. To George, the world revolves around his many women with their precious hair, and his own personal predicaments. Within almost two days his "perfect world" slowly crumbles away, and he is forcefully exposed to the reality everyone else lives in. In fact, the compacted time set is essential to the entire feel of the film, as all of the characters (not just George) are abruptly and unexpectedly shown what they couldn't see and comprehend from the get-go. We are constantly waiting for the moment where one of these people will see what the others cannot, and as the film continues those cracks in this golden egg of a world begin to show.
Art almost imitated life when Warren Beatty played the womanizing hairdresser, who's had more woman in his bed than all of the Kennedy's combined. The character of George redefines what we today call, a "man-whore". That's right, like a heterosexual hustler who doesn't make his clients pay for his services ("I don't fuck anybody for money, I do it for fun!"). Beatty may be the one true weak link in the film, and it's a shame considering he's the center of it. His portrayal of George is quite flawed, and its amazing the rest aren't taken down with him. George is a player, right? Than why doesn't he act like one? Where is that control and aggressiveness a hustler would/should possess? To me, all George looks like is a Labrador being told what to do (yes I got that from The Constant Gardener). We see George's growing anxiety and short attention span, but Beatty just seems to walk through the film, and the performance ends up being a complete misreading of the character.
Luckily Beatty's scenes are brightened up with the help of his co-stars, Goldie Hawn and Julie Christie, who both deliver first-class performances. They play best friends, but are actually quite the exact opposite of each other; Jill is the loyal and loving girlfriend of George, who is strong willed, but a bit naive. Jackie is the ex-girlfriend of George who (like any women) would still screw him in a New York minute, and is not naive to the fact that George is a lying bed-hopper. Both actress' are perfectly cast in their roles, and as always, give depth to their characterizations even if the script doesn't. As the day goes on, both ladies discover what their secretly shared lover is all about under unfortunate circumstances. Jill's arc is given subtle shadings thanks to Hawn - who possess over flowing charm, but who is able to ground her character and surroundings. Much like in her other roles, her golden locks may project her giggling and lightweight persona, but theirs much more to it than that. The fluff is inlaid with indelible strength and intelligence. And Hawn's take on Jill is no exception. Christie makes Jackie a person who you can hate and feel for at the same time. Although we don't know much about her past, we can perceive that it wasn't as pretty as she is.
The next player is perhaps one of my favorite aspect's of the film, and she won the Oscar for her engaging performance of a wealthy but bored housewife. Yup, that player is Ms. Lee Grant who remains vivid in her part even after all these years. Grant is aware of the typical bitch housewife routine set up for her, so she gracefully avoids it, and gives her role a resolute feeling of following dreams and losing them just as quickly. Felicia is very much human, and not some cartoon sketched up to pass the time. For example in the scene where she finds George coming out of her daughter's bathroom, even behind those bug-eyed sunglasses we can still see her questioning and doubt about what really just happened. Then to push those ideas aside, she must immediately pounce on George, so psychologically she has the upper-hand to her daughter who only gets to enjoy the ride once. Aside from the technical aspects of the performance, Grant's Felicia is a real hoot to watch. Walking around her house in a mink coat, having different hairstyles in every scene, her neurotic ranting and line readings. God, I wanted more! However for me, the icing on the already delicious cake is her climactic chance of attempting to turn around her life which is slowly falling apart. Her husband is trying ever so gently to avoid the conversation, but Felicia knows that this is the final straw ("No....no we cannot go into this later."). After Lester refuses to hear the reality of the situation, Felicia forcefully shoves it down his throat with a sharp edge.To sum it all up, this is one bottle of shampoo that never looses its luster, texture, or proficiency.
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