SXSW FILM REVIEW: ‘Well Groomed’ Takes a Colorful Look At the World of Competitive Dog Grooming

[rating=7.00]

Documentaries that explore the wide and weird variety of niche interests always seem to do well at SXSW. While the formula for these films is well-established—introduce a bizarre interest, tease a big competition or event happening in the next year, introduce a group of hopefuls—their looks inside the varied interests of humanity tend to be, if done well, fascinating slices of anthropology in motion.

Well Groomed, the directorial debut of seasoned doc producer Rebecca Stern, is a film that takes us deep inside the surprisingly complex world of creative dog grooming, where professional groomers shape and dye fur into outrageous shapes and forms. From the outside looking in, it seems like a bizarre interest for a person to get into but, in Stern’s hands, the film becomes an often poignant look at a surprisingly thriving sub-culture.

The film follows four professional dog groomers on the creative grooming circuit as they prepare for the annual Groom Expo in Hershey, Pennsylvania, “The Super Bowl of creative grooming.” We meet seasoned pros like Angela Kumpe and newcomers like Nicole Beckman, looking to make their mark in the field and, hopefully, take home the top prize and creative grooming expos across the country.

Outrageous is the name of the game in this world, and the more colorfully baroque the better. Poodle fur is used as base for dinosaurs, chickens, dragons, and even the Mad Hatter and Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland. There’s a wild artistry that goes into the conception and execution of these designs, as well as a strict guideline that must be followed to win favor with the judges. It’s not enough to be weird and out there; there must be an elegance in the form on top of the creativity.

The competition is ruff rough, and often emotional. To us, looking into this bizarre sub-culture of creativity, it’s easy to laugh at and dismiss but for the people involved, most of whom are looking to add credentials to their businesses, it’s a fierce game. The victories and thrilling, and defeats are crushing, and somewhere amidst the highs and lows is the face of the human condition.

Creative grooming is, of course, a controversial thing. Many decry the wild colors and cuts as cruel, and it would’ve been nice to see Stern dig deeper into this aspect of the competition. Instead, it’s addressed only in stock footage, with a vet shrugging his shoulders and saying “they look happy to me,” essentially. Stern does, however, include information on the dyes and materials used by the groomers, going out of her way to insist they’re non-toxic and specially formulated. Watching the groomers and their animals, it is clear that everyone is enjoying themselves. The dogs never seem threatened or abused and the groomers handle the animals with love and respect.

In the end, Well Groomed is a fascinating and wild look at an emerging folk art where fabulous is the name of the game and bigger is quite often better. While it does stick to the formula of these types of documentaries, the subject matter is interesting enough that it doesn’t really matter. It is a fun look at a niche interest that will make you wonder at all the wild and weird things we humans can get into.

Related Content

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recent Posts

New to Glide

Keep up-to-date with Glide

Twitter