Harebrained comedy about hairpiece war in Northern Ireland

'Everlasting Piece' silly, not satirical

By Paul Clinton
CNN.com reviewer

(CNN) - Barry Levinson, best known for big-studio productions ("Rain Man" in 1988, "Bugsy" in 1991) or intimate signature films ("Diner," 1982, and "Liberty Heights," 1999), this time has crossed the big pond to make a small, character-driven comedy set in Belfast in the 1980s. The award-winning director's efforts have yielded "An Everlasting Piece," a somewhat whimsical tale attempting to poke satirical fun at both sides of the longstanding battle between Protestants and Catholics in war-weary Northern Ireland.

But Levinson's stick isn't very sharp, and the satire becomes overwhelmed by the broad comedy and one-liners. If you've seen the theatrical trailer for "An Everlasting Piece," then you've seen the best parts of the film.

The premise involves two barbers, one Catholic, one Protestant, who band together in a desperate effort to corner the toupee market in Northern Ireland -- hence the double-entendre title playing off the meanings of "piece" and "peace." It's about as clever as this film gets.

The two unlikely partners are played by Barry McEvoy and Brian F. O'Byrne. McEvoy, who stars as Colm, the Catholic half of the partnership, also wrote the script, based on his father's memories of being a barber -- and hairpiece salesman -- in his native Belfast. O'Byrne plays George, the mild-mannered Protestant who gets swept up in Colm's grand scheme.

The film begins strongly enough with a montage of the bleak reminders of the Region's never-ending conflict -- grainy images of armored cars, road blocks, secret meetings with the Irish Republican Army. All the while, pounding in the background, is Talking Heads' "Life During Wartime."

Things then shift into a lower gear, and never recover, as the two protagonists meet.

Colm and George find themselves working side-by-side cutting hair at a local hospital for the insane. There they discover a madman called Scalper, whose nickname matches his crime. This one-dimensional role doesn't give Scottish comedian Billy Connolly much to work with, and he doesn't. In his former life, Scalper held the monopoly on the hairpiece business in Northern Ireland, the barbers learn. His valuable customer list is theirs for the taking, and the two hatch a scheme to take over Scalper's business.

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There's only one catch. Another company, Toupee or Not Toupee, is also competing for the territory. Whichever group sells the most toupees in a set period of time gets the exclusive contract to cover the bald heads of their fellow Irishmen -- Catholics and Protestants alike. The race is on.

"An Everlasting Piece" attempts to take the horrific situation in Northern Ireland during the '80s and present them with a touch of humor. After all, comedy is a time-honored way of defusing sticky situations and casting them in a different light. This time, it doesn't work.

This little film tries too hard to charm, and in the process loses its bite. It merely becomes a series of mild jokes, all strung together in a row.

"An Everlasting Piece" had a limited opening Christmas Day. Rated R. 105 minutes.

Barry Levinson Official Web site: 'An Everlasting Piece'
'An Everlasting Piece'

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