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For more movie summaries, see Kam's Kapsules.

Ladies Let Their Hair Down at Latifah's "Beauty Shop"

Review by Kam Williams

When we last saw Gina Norris (Queen Latifah), she was at the beauty parlor next door to Calvin's Barbershop in Chicago. Now, she's a single-mother and has moved in with her late husband's family in Atlanta in order to send her daughter, Vanessa (Paige Hurd), a child prodigy, to a private music conservatory.

Gina is employed at an upscale salon run by Jorge (Kevin Bacon) until she mistakes his use of the word "moniker" for an ethnic slur. Gina quits on the spot, taking her secret invention, a hair conditioner that all her boss' clients love, with her.

Gina decides to open her own shop. However, because the bank will only lend her $30,000, the best place she can rent is a dive in need of a makeover. Fortunately, there's Joe, a handyman (Djimon Hounsou), living in the apartment upstairs, who is willing to pitch in.

Although it's obvious where that relationship is headed, Gina puts business ahead of love and focuses on hiring away Jorge's disgruntled help and attracting a few of his favorite customers.

Almost immediately, Gina's establishment becomes the popular gathering spot where both clients and stylists lose all their inhibitions and feel comfortable enough to say whatever is on their minds.

What the place lacks in polish, it makes up for in flair. Gina's help is played by Alfre Woodard, Keisha Knight-Pulliam, Alicia Silverstone, and Bryce Wilson, while Andie MacDowell, Della Reese, Mena Suvari, and Kimora Lee Simmons are among her colorful customers. The regulars from the 'hood, like Willie (Little JJ), wander in and out to provide comic relief.

This over-plotted picture has more sidebars than you might care to keep track of: How will Vanessa fare at her big piano recital? Can Jorge figure out a way to eliminate Gina's competition? Will Gina, Joe, and Vanessa live happily ever after?

All these loose ends, and others, are eventually resolved. However, Beauty Shop's sophomoric locker room approach to black-white, gay-straight, and male-female issues cannot be undone by a saccharine storybook ending.

Fair (one star). Rated PG-13 for sex, expletives, ethnic slurs, and drug references. Running time: 105 minutes. Distributor: MGM.

end of review.