Review of Top Five (2014) by Glenn G — 22 Dec 2014

CHRIS ROCKS - My Review of TOP FIVE (4 Stars).

Citing Woody Allen as a major influence, Writer/Director/Star Chris Rock has made the year's funniest, most incisive film. Structurally, ANNIE HALL's footprints are all over the movie, making this the only ANNIE-related film worth seeing this Holiday Season. Rock plays Andre Allen, a successful film comedy actor and former standup who, for reasons made clear as the story unfolds, is only interested now in more serious stories.

Taking place over the course of one day, Andre has reluctantly agreed to an extended interview with a New York Times reporter, Chelsea (Rosario Dawson, who can match Rock toe-for-toe with a zinger) as he goes about his day publicizing his new film and preparing for his televised wedding to a BRAVO star (hilariously embodied by Gabrielle Union, who clearly watched a Housewife or two before the cameras rolled). Once stung by a bad Times review, Andre is wary, but develops great rapport with Chelsea, spilling personal details as seen in fantastic flashbacks. As such, we get a somewhat messy, but always entertaining, kaleidoscopic view of his life and of his relationships...much like Woody's classic.

One sequence in particular stands out, a time when his character hit bottom in Texas while performing standup. His handler, Jazzy Dee, ferociously played by Cedric The Entertainer, nails the banter of someone who brags about owning their town and ends up delivering more drugs and women Andre can handle. The craziness keeps escalating, culminating in one of the funniest overhead sight gags I've seen in years.

The flashbacks aren't limited to Andre. Chelsea is given an inner life too, with Anders Holm going for broke as her boyfriend in a series of scenes that went right to the edge of homophobia, but had the smarts to not offend. It's one of those rare Hollywood moments where there's gross-out humor, but the main characters aren't so much disgusted by the gayness of it all as they are just wired up by the crazy situation. It's a fine line, and TOP FIVE navigates it well.

As the day proceeds, Andre's walls come down, especially when he takes Chelsea along on a family visit. This lively scene features everyone from Ben Vereen and Sherri Shepherd to Saturday Night Live cast members Jay Pharoah, Michael Che (more relaxed here and charming), Tracy Morgan (pre-accident and reminding us what a singular talent he is), and most notably, Leslie Jones, who is breaking out to become one of the great comedy stars of 2014. Someone put her in a Buddy Movie with Melissa McCarthy quick!

The movie is not without its flaws. The opening scene confuses the timeline somewhat and seemed to want to plant us in Woody Allen-land more than it wanted to tell a straightforward story. Regardless, it's a scene with a dead-on payoff. Also, as funny and sharp as Chris Rock is (and let's face it, he's one of the best), he hasn't mastered dramatic acting just yet. It's ironic since this semi-autobiographical film rests on the premise that he has the chops to do more serious work. Sometimes, he's just too funny to take seriously, and it shows on his slightly bemused face. Even the posters for his movie-within-a-movie, about a Haitian Slave Rebellion, defy credibility, as his face reads comedy no matter the subject. I know it's kind of the point there, but I still feel he needs to dig a little deeper and let down his guard a little more. Also, the beats in his story with Chelsea are perhaps a little too telegraphed. These are minor quibbles in a film this entertaining.

TOP FIVE bursts over with issues about race, creativity, selling out, honesty, blind ambition, and most importantly, what is it that you value in another person. It packs in a lot, because Chris Rock, as always, has a lot to say. The title is a nod to figuring out the joy in someone else, and it's revealed as something sweet and lovely. Add laugh-out-loud funny to those adjectives and you'd be describing this wonderful, perfect-for-the-moment triumph for Chris Rock.