Day Off

An ageing hairdresser finds solace in the little details, in Fu Tien-yu sweet, wistful drama.

“We used to borrow rice by the cup and return with the cup spilled over.”

I have always appreciated, when I watch films or TV, seeing characters be passionate for something I will personally never be into. Shows like Haikyuu that get into the weeds of playing volleyball, or the poetry in Chihayafuru are like mini masterclasses in a topics completely obscure to me. Movies can’t get quite as deep into it, thanks to time restrictions, but films like Day Off showcase an intimate knowledge about their subject, in this case hairdressing that can’t be faked.

The film centres on a woman named Ah Rui (Lu Hsiao-fen), who’s been running a hair salon in her small town for decades. She’s built up a number of regulars, and is perfectly happy with her small profits and slowly dwindling clients. Her children have different ideas, however. Her son (Shih Ming-Shuai) constantly pushes new business ideas at her, and while her two daughters are working in the same industry, her eldest (Beatrice Fang)’s Taipei studio is always modernising and favours profits over clients, while her younger daughter (Annie Chen) works crazy hours as a stylist for a media studio.

Ah Rui’s approach leads her to take her titular Day Off, not to relax, but to visit an old client, now at the end of his life, who had moved away and who needs a haircut in his final moments. As far stories goes, there’s not a lot there and that’s by design. Fu Tien-yu keeps things simple so our attention is given to the characters, their relationships and their own personal philosophies.  Fu mentioned in a Q&A that much of the main character was based off her own mother, and as a result Ah Rui feels like a well-developed character long before we even learn much about her.

Day Off is a film based in truth, and because of that, it allows so much of what the characters go through to feel real as well. At its core, it’s a study on why we keep hold of old ways, and why smaller aspirations are good, but it’s never too preachy about it. Ah Rui is a woman who values what she has, but at no point does the movie really get judgemental about eldest daughter Ling’s plans for a fully automated NT$100 instant hair cutting service. It’s just … not her style. The film revels in the calmness of a slow, steady life, shown through numerous scenes of hair cutting and the conversations that stem from that.

Day Off is a drama, sure, but it’s one that never dwells on misery and instead looks at the pleasantness of a life lived well.  There are ups and downs throughout, most of them to do with the characters’ clashing ideologies on business and money, but there’s a sense of familial love and respect throughout. The people of the town respect Ah Rui for her dedication to the craft, and she in turn respects her children’s choices, even when she doesn’t understand or agrees with them. A highlight of the film comes from the points of view offered by Ling’s ex-husband Chiang (Fu Meng-po), a mechanic whose nice-guy attitude and inability to ask anyone to pay for his services caused their rift. He embodies both positives and negatives with the lifestyles and attitudes towards money that Ah Rui and her children have.

It’s overall a really sweet film, with some great performances, including a notable reintroduction to Lu Hsiao-fen, who had retired from acting for over twenty years by this point. There’s something about that casting though that gives the movie extra charm and her subtly powerful performance gives many of the conversations she has with the backs of people’s heads a dramatic weight and meaning. It does veer into tear-jerking territory from time to time, but it never gets too sentimental either. Instead, it enjoys gently moving to the rhythm of its own beat, and much like Ah Rui herself, is happy taking the scenic route to tell its story.

Verdict:  Fu Tien-yu’s patience with and connection to her subject gives Day Off that extra edge and puts it a cut above other similar, sentimental dramas.

Overall entertainment: 7.5/10
Violence: Not even an ear nicked/10
Sex: 0/10
Haircuts: At least 20
Cute cats: 1
Alternative money making ideas: Solar panels, cryptocurrency

Day Off (2023)
Also known as: Ben ri gong xiu
Mandarin

Director: Fu Tien-Yu
Writer: Fu Tien-Yu

CAST
Lu Hsiao-Fen – Ah Rui
Meng-Po Fu – Chen Li-Chuan
Ming-Shuai Shih – Jia Nan Zhou
Annie Chen – Jia Xin Zhou
Beatrice Fang – Jia Ling Zhou
Bolin Chen – Young Farmer
Wanting Chen – Dr. Ko’s Daughter
Tamika Hill – Superstar