Miss Shampoo

A by-the-numbers rom com is saved by its charismatic leads, and some choice haircuts.

“I take things one snip at a time.”

Romantic comedies are a lot like buddy cop comedies. As a gene they certainly started out pretty simple, with simple opposites attracting. As the years went by and the pairings became tired, small book store owners were paired with online sellers, black cops teamed up with Hong Kong cops, and at one point Jim Belushi partnered up with a dog, though I can’t remember which genre that was. Suffice it to say that finding fun, new pairings in something like rom-coms can be difficult. We’ve seen our share of stylists, but have they ever been with a gangster? Who knows. Maybe.

Fen (Vivian Sung) is a trainee hairdresser at a small salon whose life is turned upside down when wounded gangster Tai (Daniel Hong) breaks in, to hide from some assassins. She fools his pursuers, resulting in Tai owing her a debt. He gets his hair cut there (as well as forcing every other gangster in town to do the same), and the two begin to form a bond – one that threatens his authority over his men and his entire operation.

As is often the case with many romantic comedies, Miss Shampoo often feels like it’s thrown a few prompts into a story generator and let it figure the rest out. It’s not bad, just sort of rote. Anyone can guess that Fen has a boyfriend, and of course he’s not as attentive to her needs as Tai would be. That wouldn’t be so bad, but the romance isn’t the only story in the film, and is somehow not the least interesting of the two.

The gangster storyline, in which members of Tai’s crime family try to solve his boss’s assassination is okay at its best and a mind-numbingly dull tale of urban redevelopment at its worst. It’s a mercy that almost no time is dedicated to it, and when it does choose to follow it, the focus is thankfully more on character interactions, from the way the gangsters hang out, to Tai’s second in command Long Legs (Kai Ko)’s increasing concern for the state of his gang.

Character moments are what hold the movie together (except when Fen’s family is in the scene). I can forgive a dull activity if it means getting to spend time with interesting people. The same is true in films, where good chemistry, banter and interactions can change how I see a film. The characters themselves aren’t particularly well written, typically falling into an easy to grasp archetype, but the actors behind them are able to give them enough life to keep us watching through to its almost surprising ending.

Hong and Sung have such good chemistry together, largely due to Hong’s innate charisma. He brings a likeability to his gangster, and his antics and occasional naivety mean that he loses a lot of his initial threat early on, he’s still believable in the role. Sung is given less to do, and is often made to be reactionary to what the men in her life are up to. It’s a thankless role, especially considering she is the title character, but she does the best she can with it, letting her charm and hugely expressive face do most of the heavy lifting.

It’s these antics, typically between Tai and his men (often showing a pretty good side to masculinity and male friendships) that got the most laughs out of me. Typically, if a movie like this can make me chuckle, I count is as a win, so to get more than a few genuine laughs from me is a big point in its favour. By virtue of the fact that  its stars are able to not only able to keep me invested in their relationship while also making me laugh is enough to say that Miss Shampoo isn’t perfect, but it’s a cut above the usual dreg.

Also, this is entirely unrelated, but this is the second time Kai Ko’s been in a romantic comedy involving haircuts. At least this one is consistent.

Verdict: Entirely bolstered by its characters, Miss Shampoo’s lack of interesting story really hampers what could have been a genuinely funny and sweet romantic comedy.

Overall entertainment: 6/10
Violence: 4/10
Sex: A lot of people encouraging Tai to fuck Fen, even her own mother/10
Multiple choice: Always go for C
Haircuts: 10/10
Finger chops: 18/20
Tai’s rules for being a gangster: Just seem like common sense
Best blue pill substitute: Natural hornet formula. Just make sure you finish within 10 minutes.

Miss Shampoo (2023)
Also known as: 还有哪里需要加强
Mandarin

Director: Giddens Ko
Writer: Giddens Ko

CAST

Daniel Hong – Tai
Vivian Sung – Fen
Ko Kai – Long Legs
Emerson Tsai – Fishy
Yin Wei-min – Bryan
Honduras – Boss North
Hsia Teng-Hung – Four-eye