Rapper-turned-actor Ice Cube ably provides the emotional core in this story of a neighborhood barbershop and its assortment of colorful inhabitants, which is a cut above standard hip-hop cinematic fare. And while I respect his attempt to support the ancient Aristotelian Unity of Time (along with his "Friday" series and his popular song "It was a good day"), the film could have trimmed of couple of the obviously padded, Altman-esque subplots.