Top Five (2014)
Cast includes: Chris Rock (Head of State), Rosario Dawson (Seven Pounds), J.B. Smoove (Date Night), Gabrielle Union (Bad Boys II), Romany Malco (The 40-Year-Old Virgin), Cedric the Entertainer (The Steve Harvey Show), Ben Vereen (All That Jazz), Michael Che (Saturday Night Live), Sherri Shepherd (Precious), Jay Pharoah (Saturday Night Live), Tracy Morgan (Cop Out)
Writer/Director: Chris Rock (I Think I Love My Wife)
Genre: Comedy | Romance (102 minutes)
“You need to wake up and smell the progress,” says Chelsea. Her interview with Andre Allen, “Time Magazine’s funniest man in America,” seems to be coming off the rails. He “hit it big with “Hammy the Bear” 1, 2 and 3.” But after “Hammy Time,” Andre wants to go in a different direction… a new movie about the tragic Haitian revolution. Also, there’s Andre’s upcoming marriage to Bravo reality star Erica Long. “Where’s my kiss?” “Do we have to do this on camera?” “Not on camera, it doesn’t exist!” It’ll be Bravo’s biggest reality event ever. Every new outlet in America is clamoring for an interview with the former Hammy. James Neilson of the New York Times? Not a chance. He’s the guy who said he never wanted to see another Andre Allen movie… ever. But it’s not Neilson; it’s Chelsea Brown… and she looks harmless. “Why don’t you just skip the hack questions and go right to something good!” “OK,” she says. “How come you’re not funny any more?” Chelsea wants to know if sobriety is the problem. “Everybody’s funnier drunk,” says Silk, the bodyguard.
“If this thing (Andre’s new movie) flops, we’re talking Dancing With the Stars,” says Andre’s agent. But events are moving fast with a wedding in 3 days. “How do you think being sober has affected your career?” Chelsea still wants to know. “It hasn’t.” “It has.” Ok… “rigorous honesty”... Chelsea just wants a good story. So they go on a whirlwind tour of Andre’s life… past and present. Andre recalls his low point… Houston 2003. He takes Chelsea back to the projects to meet his friends… no need to interview them… just ask for their top 5. They make a quick trip to Bulgari to pick up the wedding rings, including the extra ring the network added to the order! (It’ll show up better on TV.) The wedding is trending… but tragically, his new tragedy, Uprize! isn’t. All fans want is another Hammy movie… “I hate Hammy!” says Andre.
Andre’s life is a train wreck. The truth is that being sober isn’t funny, and tragedy isn’t working for Andre either. Audiences accept black comedy and black tragedy… and not much in between. That’s why Andre can’t seem to “smell the progress.” Fortunately, for us in the real audiences, Top Five is hysterical… as long as you’re into fast-paced, over-the-top comedy with every obscenity ever invented. Written and directed by Chris Rock and staring Chris Rock, along with a truly wonderful cast, Top Five highlights a frustration of black entertainers… being afraid to disappoint your fans, even if you’d like to try branching out. It’s not autobiographical, but it’s clearly a world that Chris Rock knows. It’s his first movie that critics feel is as funny as his stand-up. There’s nothing held back in terms of talent or material. Every cast member shines. On one level, it’s in the genre of black (Africa American) comedy, but there’s plenty in it to warrant crossover appeal. “You need to wake up and smell the progress.”
4 popped kernels
A successful black comedian wants to make a break from the character he became famous for
Popcorn Profile
Rated: R (Language, Nudity, Violence, Sexual Content, Crime, Drugs)
Audience: Young Adults
Gender Style: Bold
Distribution: Mainstream Wide Release
Mood: Upbeat
Tempo: Zips Right Along
Visual Style: Nicely Varnished Realism
Nutshell: Comedian wants to be taken seriously
Language: Rude & Crude
Social Significance: Pure Entertainment
