Barbershop Punk

 

Story:

Is “The Man” controlling the vertical, the horizontal, and the channel you’ll be on? In a privatized American Internet, is big business “Big Brother” or does the free market protect and serve the needs of the average citizen with its invisible hand? With the simple act of swapping files, barbershop quartet baritone Robb Topolski finds himself at ground zero of a landmark case whose outcome will affect the rights of every American citizen. Following one man’s personal quest to defend what he believes to be his inalienable rights, BARBERSHOP PUNK examines the critical issues surrounding the future of the American Internet and what it takes to challenge the status quo.

Review:

At its core idea, Georgia Sugimura Archer’s documentary Barbershop Punk should be an enthralling piece on net neutrality.  It follows an ‘everyman’ who stumbles upon a major issue most Americans pay little attention to, features a wide range of interviews (including a few celebrities) and adds a nice little dose of engaging visuals and special effects.  The final product however, falls way short of expectations.

Like most internet related documentaries, Barbershop Punk fails to maintain its story, losing focus on a few other issues and allowing some of the interviews to exaggerate ideas.  As I said, it’s not uncommon for films on this subject to have these issues, but that doesn’t forgive its faults.  While the other issues are worth exploring (and some cases closely related) and the exaggerated fears may be justifiable, they quickly push mainstream audiences away.  You can’t convince everyone every time, but you can’t sway an audience that’s already tuned you out either.

It’s also difficult to sway audiences when celebrities and musicians out weigh expert opinions.  Don’t get me wrong, the musician interviews are great for adding a realistic element to everything.  They provide a tangible link for audiences and definitely will hook in those unsure about any of the facts and figures presented.  However, they shouldn’t be leaned on to form your argument, and Henry Rollins (with his ‘Orwellian’ comments) certainly doesn’t help build a solid case.

But perhaps most surprising, Archer doesn’t allow her film to build to an ending that is either inspirational or a call to action.  Barbershop Punk just sorta ends without any real closure.  There is a definite ‘so what’ moment as the credits role and that isn’t exactly the aftertaste you don’t want.

I’m being slightly overcritical of Archer’s film.  It isn’t any worse than previous net neutrality documentaries, but perhaps I’m tired of seeing this engaging topic covered so poorly.  Despite a few good moments, Barbershop Punk is not worth watching.

Reviewed by Matthew Abshire for Documentary Film Online on April 12, 2011

In Conclusion: