Big Tease

Another addition to the ever-growing mockumentary genre. A British camera crew follows Crawford Mackenzie (Craig Ferguson), a Scottish hairstylist, as he travels to Los Angeles to take part in the Platinum Scissors Competition, put on by the World Hairdressing International Federation. Unfortunately, it turns out that Crawford misread the invitation, which was only to be in the audience. But he refuses to let that stop him, and works his way through the L.A. social world. In the process, he befriends Sean Connery's agent (Frances Fisher), who helps him finally get a chance to show the world his hairstyling genius. The Big Tease is at its best when completely indulging its hero--Crawford's delight at the amenities of his hotel, such as electric curtains, is charming and infectious. Ferguson has a gift for a kind of deadpan silliness, a dry humor that never becomes anything but frivolous--in a good way. The plot is beside the point; the ruthless depiction of fatuous L.A. social behavior, however, is sharp. Comedian Larry Miller has a brilliant turn as an unctuous hotel manager named Dunstan Cactus, and there are numerous cameos, including David Hasselhoff and Drew Carey playing themselves. --Bret Fetzer