Review of Top Five (2014) by Art S — 26 Feb 2016

Chris Rock is an engaging performer and he seems like he must be a nice guy. I haven't really been following his career. This is the third feature film he has directed. He plays what you would have to assume is a version of himself, a famous comedian trying to branch out into more serious pursuits being interviewed by the New York Times.

There is now a genre of these types of movies that blend reality and fiction, a genre that can be pretty fascinating and funny -- as in Tristam Shandy (2005) with Steve Coogan -- but which can also include horror shows like Jerry Springer's The Ringmaster (1998).

Rock's film is somewhere in the middle. Rosario Dawson plays the Times reporter (and potential love interest) and their tete-a-tete ranges all over the place, covering alcoholism/sobriety, film criticism, reality TV vs.

reality, and more. There are some "blue" moments (as in sexually explicit) and there is some raw language (no surprise) - but the general tone is affectionate and sensitive. The movie mostly succeeds as it ambles amiably along but it feels like we have been here before.