A Cut Above – Movie Review
Director: Rodrigo Franca
Writer: Marcelo Andrade, Anderson Franca, Silvio Guindane (Screenplay)
Cast
- Lucas Penteado
- Solange Couto
- Serjao Loroza
- Jeniffer Dias
- Neusa Borges
Plot: With his mom’s salon on the brink of bankruptcy, a dedicated son rolls up his sleeves to help and discovers himself as the coolest barber on the block.
Runtime: 1 Hour 30 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Story: A Cut Above starts as we meet Richardsson (Penteado) a teenager about to leave school. His mother Cristina (Couto) is struggling to keep her hair salon Saigon afloat, with a rival saloon run by Greice taking the business.
After Richardsson finds himself in trouble, he offers to cut someone’s hair. This will see his reputation grow as someone who can give the most modern coolest haircuts in the neighbourhood.
Verdict on A Cut Above
Characters
Richardsson is about to leave school without knowing what to do with his future. He wants to help his mother in the salon and goes on a journey around town. It is this journey that lets him show off his skills as a barber.
Cristina is Richardsson’s mother that has been running the Saigon hair salon. She is facing an uncertain future, facing closure and reconnecting with a former love.
Greice is the rival hair salon, the one everyone goes to. She lets everyone else do the work, expecting her reputation to grow and take over Cristina’s salon.
Performances
Lucas Penteado is great in the leading role, filled with charisma that carries the movie. It is one of the strongest leading performances in comedy this year.
In the supporting role, we get plenty of entertaining performances that will get laughs along the way.
Story
The story follows a young man who doesn’t know what he wants in his future. He turns to his mother’s salon to help keep the business afloat, showing off his new talent as a barber. All this while dealing with the pressure of whether to go to college or not.
A story that follows a younger member of a family helping a family business recover is one we have seen before. It brings plenty of heart to a story because it shows the personal side of what family means.
There is plenty of exploring the Brazilian culture, as we get to see how a neighbourhood would come together to support each other.
Themes
A Cut Above is a comedy that brings a charismatic young barber from the shadows to discover his true talent. The movie will use the location of the neighbourhood to show how united everyone in the story is, helping dive into the Brazilian culture.
Where to Watch: A Cut Above is available now on Netflix
Final Thoughts –A Cut Above is an enjoyable comedy, with plenty of laughs along the way.
