Top Five

 During his years as one of the “Bad Boys of SNL,” Chris Rock has gained recognition as one of the funniest comedians of the past twenty years. Granted, he's done some films that aren't that great, as well as give an offensive comment on voice acting at the Oscars, but that's beside the point. Within the past decade, he's had a couple films that he's taken part as writer and director. “Head of State,” “I Think I Love My Life,” and his newest film, “Top Five.”

In this film, Rock plays Andre Allen, a talented comedian and actor, who has recently gone off the deep edge and trying to revitalize himself. He does this by getting married on Bravo TV, giving up alcohol all together, and turn towards drama by starring in a film about the Haitian Revolution. The problem is, people are more obsessed with him doing comedy than drama, and with him doing another film in a series, about a cop in a bear suit called “Hammy,” that he hates doing. And he confesses all of the troubles to a reporter, Chelsea Brown, and many other things about his life that he wants to put behind.

This is a film that's put in the category of “Attack on Hollywood,” where you have a film that reveals the flaws of Hollywood that people keep talking about, and it does it well. It brings up how a lot of people don't want actors to change their direction, always wanting the same crap over and over again, and that trying to change your image won't automatically sync in with the public. If anything, this is Chris Rock's best film and performance, because he's essentially playing a parody of himself and people who are in that circle like him. While Rock is very funny in the film, he does show he's got a good dramatic side to him, when he finds out a secret about Chelsea, which I won't spoil.

Rosario Dawson as Chelsea does a great job in the film. She manages to pull off the reporter character with something more to her, very nicely, and she too manages to get some good laughs here and there. I love the story they have with her boyfriend in the film, because it's so hilariously off putting, that it's not worth spoiling. Throughout the film, it focuses on Rock being interviewed by Dawson, and just seeing him finally lose his shit is absolutely priceless. We also have appearances from Andre's friends and family, some consisting of other comedians like Tracy Morgan, Adam Sandler, Jerry Seinfeld, Jay Pharoah, DMX, and Whoopi Goldberg, which are funny cameos in that regard.

If I had any complaints, it's that the film did have a few parts that were a bit vulgar. There were about a couple sex scenes that went a bit too far, and could have been toned down a lot or just left to the imagination. Needless to say, this is a film you do NOT want to watch with your parents or sensitive family members. I also didn't care that much about the fiancee, played by Gabrielle Union. We don't really get to know her that much, and she just acts like an annoying bitch you'd see on any of those “Real Housewives” shows. I know that's kind of the intention, since the wedding is broadcast on Bravo, the channel that SHOWS them, but that still doesn't make it good.

Aside from that, the film is pretty easy going, and is a good watch. If you're a Chris Rock fan, I highly recommend it. The writing's good, the direction is good, the acting is excellent, and it has a lot of funny moments in it. Check it out and see what you think.

Rating: 8/10