MANSOME

Beards, mustaches, body hair, ointments, toupées: Each is given a cursory glance in Morgan Spurlock's unsolicited rumination on the current state of men's grooming. As with previous projects, Spurlock makes himself a vehicle for exploring the subject of the film, but only briefly this time, confining his presence to a short segment wherein he shaves offhis 'stache, eliciting tears from his young son. Following this emotionally eviscerating episode are vignettes of various hairy characters, including an enigmatically deadpan competitive beard grower and an artisan wig weaver who refers to his product as a hair "system." Celebrity appearances pad out the film: Second-rate comic banter is traded between Will Arnett and Jason Bateman (both coproducers of the film) as they get glazed and plucked at the spa, and Zach Galifianakis, who seems condemned to perpetually play a semifictionalized version of himself, is interviewed about his hilarious beard-have you seen this guy's beard?! Besides occasional half-hearted mutterings about "changing gender roles" and "broader implications," the film remains patently unambitious, has the cheap air of a VH1 special, and is never more than mildly amusing. (KRISHANU RAY)