TOP FIVE – The Review

When a big milestone approaches it’s common for most of us to look back and reflect on our lives and career. With the big 5-0 looming, Chris Rock, one of the smartest and funniest stand-up comedians, has done just that with TOP FIVE (not a reference to the B-day, but a quick listing of favorite music artists used as an ‘ice breaker’, like “Where’d you go to school?” here in St. Louis). Oh, and this is the third feature film he’s directed (he wrote this one, too). Mr. Rock has been part of the national comedy scene for nearly 25 years since he was one of the cast members of TV’s “Saturday Night Live”, with a few movie bit roles under his belt (BEVERLY HILLS COP 2). He’s gone from cocky kid with a mike to screen veteran, so  now what does he want to say about the nature of celebrity and show biz? Will this project eventually be part of his own movie top five?

Rock plays comedy superstar Andre Allen, and, on this very long day, his life and career are at a crossroads. He’s taking a big risk professionally with his first foray into movie drama playing the leader of a Haitian slave revolt in the 1800’s. Andre has been playing it “safe” for the last few years by starring in a series of ‘low-brow’ action cop comedies as “Hammy the Bear” (he’s cracking wise inside a fur suit while blasting away the bad guys). Now he wants to be taken seriously, which isn’t aided by his personal life. He’s to be married later this weekend to fame-seeking reality TV star Erica Long (Gabrielle Union)) with the ceremony taped as part of her basic cable show. If all that weren’t enough, his agents have arranged for Times staffer Chelsea Brown (Rosario Dawson) to interview him while doing last-minute press for the new film (and the anonymous reviewer for her paper seems to delight in slamming his movies). They visit Andre’s old neighborhood, sit in on countless morning radio interviews, and join the film’s cast for the marathon press junket. As the day progresses star and profiler bond over their struggle to maintain sobriety (each has a prized program chip) and clash as her questions get more pointed and personal. Can Andre make it through the pressures of the day without giving into his inner demons and the intense attraction to his inquisitor?

Despite pulling triple duty, Rock seems more comfortable in his performance here than in most of his recent film work (not counting his membership in Adam Sandler’s rep company). Still, occasionally he’ll slide into stand-up mode, doing a riff rather than conversing. Fortunately by the mid-point he’s connecting with his fellow actors, going for the truth in the scene rather than the laugh, although the incident that ignites a meltdown rings hollow. It helps that his big moments usually occur with the luminous, energetic Dawson, who brings a real intelligence along with her stunning presence. Her character is not going to be distracted by Allen’s considerable charm and wit. But it’s another beauty that delivers one of the film’s best dramatic moments. Union shows the vulnerable human being beneath the reality TV diva caricature. It’s a shame we don’t get more of her interacting with Allen beside the random phone calls. The movie’s peppered with several comic stars who barely get a chance to showcase their talents. The great JB Smoove (a fine foil on “Curb Your Enthusiasm”) is regulated to being Allen’s motor-mouthed (speaking of fast-talkers, the over-exposed Kevin Hart has a brief cameo as Allen’s frenetic agent) security/aide while making inept passes at every voluptuous female in sight (original!). He comes off better than Cedric the Entertainer as the vile, voracious hustler that scares Allen straight (off booze and drugs). He’s the Tasmanian Devil of lust and over-indulgence. Faring perhaps worse is the talented Anders Holm (of TV’s “Workaholics” and “The Mindy Project”) as Chelsea’s beau who becomes the punchline of a gross, humiliating prank. Past (Tracy Morgan) and current (Michael Che, Leslie Jones, and Jay Pharoah) SNL players are giving little to do (blink and you’ll miss Jay), while they and other actors appear in tired “look in the camera” confessionals. Several comedy icons show up as themselves in the final act’s party scene, all to few laughs and minimal impact.

So basically, this is Rock in full Woody Allen mode, particularly the WA of ANNIE HALL,MANHATTAN, and STARDUST MEMORIES, ready to tackle the way people view his work and life. It’s a shame that so many subplots fall into movie clichés and ring false. What media outlets have unknown, anonymous film critics? Food and restaurant critics, sure, but c’mon? And several sequences with the general public seem like tired riffs on more inspired bits from THE KING OF COMEDY. Often it seems like a celeb version of TV’s “24” or TRAINING DAY with so much stuffed into that Friday (who does a junket on the day of a film’s release?). Plus those “Hammy” clips! Are we to believe that a studio would hide a big star’s face behind an immovable rubber bear mask? There’s such a terrifically talented cast assembled here, that it’s a shame the end result often feels lethargic, trite and often laugh-free. Perhaps before his next milestone Rock will have a more compelling commentary, since this is a long, long way from my TOP FIVE.

2.5 Out of 5