Review of Top Five (2014) by Jeff B — 02 Jan 2015

After years of failing to find a project that wasn't beneath his prodigious talent or concocting a vehicle worthy of his razor sharp wit with his own hands, one of the greatest funnymen ever gives audiences a smart, hilarious, and heart breaking true piece of the Rock. Despite a brilliant stand up career that ranks among the Top Five best in comedy today, Rock hasn't seen this success translate to screen whether hes producing (Death at a Funeral), starring (Bad Company), writing (Head of State), or performing all-of-the-above (Down to Earth). Finally, Rock channels his amazingly funny stream of consciousness into the perfect outlet: a thinly veiled take on his own life. Taking laser-sited aim at everything from celebrity to the film business to reality TV the valleys of his own career to modern love in one tightly rolled joint, Top Five - in a comedian's terminology - kills it. Oh, not every joke split your gut and there is a formulaic nature to the proceedings, but the characters speak with such refreshing honesty that all is forgiven.

In this R-rated comedy from writer/director/star Chris Rock, a comedian (Rock) tries to make it as a serious actor when his reality-TV star fiancée (Gabrielle Union) talks him into broadcasting their wedding on her TV show.

In Top Five, every true-working-blue comedian in a supporting role (Adam Sandler, Kevin Hart, Whoopi Goldberg, Brian Regan, Tracy Morgan, Cedric the Entertainer, J.B. Smoove) delivers the goods pitch perfectly--the furthest thing from stunt casting. Also, Rock has never performed so effortlessly in an acting role. Granted its as himself, but his answer to a Woody Allen film holds a lot of pleasant surprises--a great twist chief among them. Alongside the ridiculously great Dawson, however, how could he not? Lastly, Freddie Jackson's silky smooth '80s R&B ballad "You Are My Lady" gets used to brilliant comic effect, soundtracking one of the film's many very real and very funny laugh-out-loud moments.

Bottom line: Top Dawg.