A provincial hairdressing competition, maybe in a London suburb. Hair stylist Cleve is angry because her masterpiece can‘t be shown in the competition. The competition has been cancelled because the competing hairdresser Mosca is dead, and has also been scalped. The participants and models have been instructed not to leave the premises before the police has completed their on-site investigation. But the police doesn‘t appear in the film at all. MEDUSA DELUXE is a whodunnit without a detective. The technical highlight - everything is filmed as a one-take, (seemingly) without editing – is important here because the camera can only show one perspective and different tracks can be laid this way. For this to happen, a different character takes us through the rooms of a community center. The very relaxed camera work for this kind of filmmaking as well as the varied and fascinating lighting moods are excellent. The characters are amusing. The actors really do their best, but aren‘t very good, and the screenplay has plot holes that are deeper than the potholes on a forest road in Prignitz. But all that doesn‘t matter, because MEDUSA DELUXE has verve. Was it one of the hair stylists? Cleve, who has temper tantrums, Kendra, who seemingly committed crimes with impresario René? Divine, who has found God and is possibly following His command…? Everyone seem both guilty and innocent and fiddle about in the background. The hairstyles are as eccentric as the staff, and maybe Mosca would have actually won with his ceremonial Nigerian classic. MEDUSA DELUXE is fun. Subtitles are recommended, also for experienced OV watchers. The dialect is mumbled and the dialogs are important.

Tom Dorow

Translation: Elinor Lewy