Chris rocks!
‘Top Five’ is one of the best recent rom-coms
J ust when it seemed like Chris Rock had already done plenty for the culture, along comes his latest work as a writer and director, “Top Five.” And it’s one of the most vibrant, sly romantic comedies this year.
That doesn’t even take into account the movie’s metaanalysis of showbiz neuroses and moments of horndog out
rageousness. Add in that it gives Rosario Dawson, finally, her own “Annie Hall” to shine in, and “Top Five” is pretty close to irresistible.
Rock plays Andre Allen, a fabulously successful standup-turned-comedy-turned comedy star — not unlike Rock himself.him Andre’s new movie is a dramatic tale about a Haitian slave uprising. But fans only want Andre’s dumb “Hammy the Bear” movies, in which he plays a cop who’s also a bear.
Agreeing to an interview with a newspaper reporter, Andre lets writer Chelsea Brown (Dawson) hang out with him. He goes back to visit his family in Harlem, attends promo events, deals with hard-won sobriety and prepares for his wedding to a self-involved reality show star (a wonderful Gabrielle Union). But Andre’s biggest challenges are a persona he feels no longer fits him and a culture that keeps getting smaller.
His own world is about to get small, too, as he falls for Chelsea and finds issues he has with her job are going to get messy.
“Top Five” refers to the impromptu listing of best rap artists that Andre and his pals are always riffing about. Actually, Rock’s script here does have weak spots. For such an astute observer, Rock allows his cinematic alter ego to be a bit less media-savvy than we’d expect.
But that’s fine, there’s plenty of savvy to go around. Adam Sandler, Jerry Seinfeld and Whoopi Goldberg pop up in a scene at a strip club, giving Andre marriage tips. Kevin Hart, Cedric the Entertainer, Tracy Morgan and DMX have fun cameos. And Rock winds up onstage himself, as Chelsea drags Andre to a comedy club and the funnyman rediscovers what he likes about being funny (those three minutes alone are worth the ticket price).
Directing his third film, Rock as an actor dives into a hilarious, fearless performance. There are many others, including a wry J.B. Smoove as Andre’s bodyguard and a piercing Ben Vereen as his dad.
And then there’s Dawson, who for about 15 years has needed a film that would utilize her quick tongue and quicker wit, her spirited smarts and sexy New York sauciness. The influences in “Top Five” are clear — “Sullivan’s Travels,” Woody Allen, Richard Pryor, Albert Brooks — but in his chivalrous approach to his leading lady, Rock is solidly The Man.