Review of Top Five (2014) by Rodrigo G — 03 Jan 2015

In this modern day Annie Hall, Chris Rock reminds us that he is still - at heart - a brutally honest and observationally hilarious story teller. A true throwback to his stand-up days, Rock elegantly uses his disarming narrative skills to make us laugh in a candid way that is akin to the styles of Louis CK and Jerry Seinfeld.

As writer, director, and lead role, Rock effectively makes this movie his own and often times when we are lost in the dialogue between him and Dawson, it's easy to forget that we're not hearing a bit from "Bigger and Blacker".

Don't get me wrong, this is by no means a laugh-a-minute slap-stick and he even takes several shots at the Tyler Perry's and "Grown Ups" that we've seen Rock do in the past. Instead, we get a look at both the absurdly funny highs and miserably private lows that comedians experience in the media and public eye that feel so real that they leave the viewer wondering how much of these situational relationship problems stem from real life issues with Rock's ex-wife.

Top Five comes across as a cathartic reveal for Rock and was easy to appreciate on so many levels.