REVIEW: Top Five

Courtesy of Paramount

As a massive Chris Rock fan since his groundbreaking 1996 stand-up special, Bring the Pain, I’ve followed his film career with fascination and a bit of disappointment. There have been the obvious cash-ins, like playing Adam Sandler’s buddy and voicing a cartoon zebra, but he also co-wrote and directed the decent-but-flawed Head of State and I Think I Love My Wife.

Those movies tackled intriguing topics, but Rock never found a way to successfully inject the material with his unique personality, which brings a creative, hilarious perspective to themes that other, less talented people have beaten into clichés. Fortunately, he finally found the perfect cinematic outlet for his voice. Top Five is easily his best film, and it might just be one of my favorites of 2014.

Rock plays Andre Allen, a comedian-turned-movie star who is in a creative slump. He’s tired of churning out sequels to his lame action franchise and he’s about to marry a reality TV star (Gabrielle Union). He wants to take his career in a more serious direction, including an upcoming historical drama about a Haitian slave uprising.

Andre’s handlers know the movie is going bomb, so they set up an interview with Chelsea Brown (Rosario Dawson), a journalist for the New York Times, in an attempt to generate some publicity. He doesn’t want to talk and she refuses to ask softball questions, so it’s a rocky conversation at first. But eventually, Andre lets his guard down and, as a result, he’s forced to confront where his life is headed for the first time in ages.

I loved everything about Top Five, including the deft juggling of comedic and dramatic material. It plays out like Rock’s version of a Richard Linklater movie, which – if you’re familiar with my cinematic tastes – seems like something made specifically for me. The comedian, playing a fictional, less-together version of his public persona, gets to stretch his acting muscles for the first time since a great guest starring role on Louie a couple of years ago.

Dawson, one of my favorite actresses, delivers one of the strongest performances of her career. Her chemistry with Rock is off the charts, and I love the way Chelsea isn’t intimidated in the slightest by Andre’s stardom – in fact, she’s downright angry that he’s not living up to his potential.

The supporting cast is insane, a bunch of brilliant comedians trying to out-funny each other – particularly in the segment where Andre introduces Chelsea to his friends and family (including Tracy Morgan, Sherri Shepherd, Leslie Jones, Jay Pharoah and Michael Che). It’s heaven for fans of improvisational comedy.

Along those lines, the final act accomplishes two miracles: it makes Adam Sandler funny again, and it causes audiences to look at Jerry Seinfeld in a completely new light. Plus, if you’re a fan of ’90s rap, there’s a glorious cameo that I wouldn’t dream of spoiling. I laughed so hard I stopped breathing for a little while.

I’ll readily admit that not everyone will appreciate the raunchy tone – the film definitely earns its R-rating. But most moviegoers know exactly what they’re in for when they buy a ticket for a Chris Rock movie. If you’re one of those people, support original filmmaking and see Top Five this weekend.

Top Five is rated R for strong sexual content, nudity, crude humor, language throughout and some drug use.

Grade: A-