Imdb Ranking 6.0
The movie is set in Belfast in the 1980's. Colm is a Catholic and is on his way to start a new job as a barber in a psychiatric hospital. The workers are all names Billy (after King William). Being introduced around he meets his fellow barber, George, a Protestant, but is told not to mention poetry. As soon as Colm meets him he asks him about poetry. Some of the patients are brought in with strait jackets on to get hair cuts.
As they work Colm and George talk and get to know each other. A new patient "The Scalper" (Biily Connolly) is brought in. He was the only seller of wigs in Northern Ireland until he went crazy and scalped four of his customers. Colm and George decide to go in to business together, hoping to get The Scalper's list of customers.
The Scalper, who is really nuts, talks to the boys and rants on for a while. He then gives then his list. Yhe pair out out in to the neighborhoods, with one or the other always being in danger.
They come up with the name "The Piece People." They go to a house on Scalper's list and they make their first sale. Colm's girlfriend Bronagh helps them setting up appointments. Then a rival group opens up a business, "Toupee or not Toupee."
,br> There are some pretty funny goings on as the boys try to get their business going. As the boys go about their escapades we see IRA signs with men in ski masks and slogans like "One island two nations united we stand:, and "Ancient defender of Ulster from Irish attacks", and "Irish out, The Ulster cause is about nationality" and "For as long as one hundred of us remain alive, we shall never in any way consent to the rule of the Irish for its not for glory we fight but for freedom alone which no man loses but with his life."
Wigs of Wimbledon has agreed to give exclusive rights to their wigs to the company that sells the most wigs. The boys must outsell Toupee or not Toupee. While out at night the boys' car gets stopped by the IRA. George tells them that he hates Protestants. One of the IRA guys tries on a wig, and decides he likes it and buys it from the boys. When he gets home he finds out there are holes in it.
At a bombing the IRA man loses his wig. Bronagh come up with the idea to have the boys be bald and then wear wigs to their sales. The RUC grabs them and investigates why their wig was found at the bombing site. Colm doesn't want to tell on the IRA man and get involved in the whole thing.
George wanted to tell the RUC what happened. He feels that now he is an accomplice. The RUC man decides to try the wig on every bald Catholic they can get until they find their man.
The IRA comes by and wants to buy thirty hair pieces. They want to cover up possible suspects. If the boys sell to the IRA they will win the contest and the franchise. Bronagh tells Colm that he shouldn't sell to the IRA and go against his mate. Colm tells Bronagh that she is a Brit and she should get out of the car. "Brits out." But it is Bronagh's car.
Th IRA comes to Colm and he tells them he can't give them the wigs because his partner's Protestant. The IRA men tell Colm that he is a Brit. They ask him if he believes in a United Ireland. Colm tells them that he won't sell to the IRA. The IRA decides to buy from Toupe or not Toupe.
Colm goes to George's poetry reading and the boys make up. They try to come up with what large group of people would need wigs. Bronagh comes up wit the idea that people from Alopecia which is brought on by stress and causes baldness. Who would be susceptible to getting this disease. They find out that many of the British soldiers in Northern Ireland, due to the working conditions, suffer from it. The boys are able to secure a government contract and they win the competition and the sole wig franchise for Northern Ireland.
A very good movie from Barry Levinson, the director of Diner, Rain Man and Wag the Dog.
