TOP FIVE is too funny!

Last night I hosted an advance screening of the new comedic film written, directed and starring Chris Rock. After a long day of work and a lot on my mind I almost didn’t go, but the reviews were too good to not see what all the hype is about. Attending this screening was a great decision and TOP FIVE will brighten any day of shopping or awkward movie date.

Plot Summary

*SPOILER ALERT*

Andre Allen (Chris Rock) is a washed up stand-up comedian and best known for portraying killer Grizzly cop Hammy the Bear. He’s a 4-years clean recovering alcoholic who secretly fears he isn’t funny if he isn’t “fucked up” on pot or liquor.  Since he can’t be funny, he wants to be taken seriously, and therefore he’s running promo for new film Uprize: The Story of the Haitian Slave Rebellion. No one is interested in the film, and critics are already predicting a flop despite the film’s All-Star cast including familiar faces Taraji P. Henson and Gabourey Sidibe.

At the same time, Allen is engaged to Reality TV Star Erica Long (played by Gabrielle Union,) who is leveraging his fame for her “professional” gain. She acknowledges that her show on Bravo is her only meal-ticket: “This is all I have. I don’t have a talent,” says Long when she fears Allen is threatening her big wedding spectacular. Critics and reporters are more interested in this aspect of his life than Uprize.

The stint of Allen’s 10-year comedy career is plagued with horrible reviews from The New York Times film critic, so he shutters at the idea of spending a day with another one of it’s reporters. Best friend and bodyguard Silk (J. B. Smoove) urges him to give it a chance. The reporter, Chelsea Brown (played by Rosario Dawson), introduces Allen to her personal life by having him follow her home to grab her Flip cam in order to document the day. While in her home he learns that she was a teen mother and is obsessed with Cinderella.

Anyway, the two spend the day going to press junkets, radio shows and Allen’s old neighborhood. They discover they share a lot more in common than the Entertainment biz– Brown is also a recovering alcoholic and struggling in her love life too.

Trouble in Paradise

See Brown’s dating a DJ, a white guy named Brad who has a “fetish” that just never sat well with her. Things came to light that night, as it was Brad’s birthday, but he wasn’t picking up his cell phone… because he was busy sneaking around with his “best friend” Ryan– a man!

In Brown’s moment of vulnerability, her and Allen begin arguing over whether or not she had this coming– after revealing she recently shoved a tampon coated in hot sauce up his ass (literally). The tension turns to passion and the two find themselves in a bathroom pulling themselves apart from each other’s genetals. They realize their level of attraction, just in time for Allen to find out that Brown actually is the tough guy critic who’s been bashing his career.

WTF?!

Allen becomes so overwhelmed with all his emotions that he turns back to alcohol. Right there, in an aisle in a bodega, he cracks open a bottle of beer and instantly gets that rush of comfort.

He loads the cart up with more cases of beer, and notices a display for Hammy the Beer at checkout. This sends him into a rage and he begins destroying the display and making a scene until the cops come Rodney King him and lock him up. In jail, he uses his one call to apologize to Erica only to find out she doesn’t care about him, only the wedding. Her publicist promises to clean up this mess by saying it was all part of the reality show, so long as he sticks to the plan.

Silk comes to pick Allen upon his release from jail to take him to his elaborate Bachelor party. Brown shows up to make amends for lying to Allen and asks for a ride home. On the way home the group has the driver make a stop to a underground comedy club, where they urge Allen to get back on the stage. His impromptu performance produces a standing ovation, restoring his confidence in himself.

They rush out of the club, Allen fresh from the stage, and shoot uptown to take Brown home for good. They share a final kiss, and with a tear in her eyes Brown manages to spit out her picks for Top Five rappers– an on-going debate throughout the film (and I guess it’s how the movie got it’s name?) which leaves Allen wondering what could have been. Per the Cinderella story, as Allen is going through his completely inappropriate bachelor’s party gift bag, he finds a shoe. The movie ends.

My Review

At the moment the movie ended me and the crowd almost lost it! How dare you end the movie like this, Chris Rock? We want to know what happens? Who do you pick? Erica or Chelsea? Will there be a part two?

This plot twist at the end is indicative of the rollercoaster ride that is TOP FIVE. The films cameo’s are bar none– Kevin Hart, Cedric the Entertainer, Jerry Seinfeld, Adam Sandler, Whoopi Goldberg, Tracy Morgan, Bruce Bruce and dare I share– DMX… in jail… singing!

These appearances piled one on top of the other, making me more and more excited to see who’s next!

The movie also made me feel. I felt hopeful for Andre, I felt bad for Chelsea, I hated Erica, I loved Silk, I didn’t trust Jazzy D the Promoter (Cedric the Entertainer.) The characters are so well developed. They all have their own multiple layers and histories which helps to better round out Andre’s character.

We also get a good feel for behind-the-scenes life in the Entertainment industry. Hearing the publicists yell at the reporters that they only have 2 more minutes made me laugh. Getting quotes is a tough job when you have a page full of questions and 2 minutes to ask them all.

We also got a glimpse into the life of a has-been. Family doesn’t respect you, but still expects you to give your last. Fans only want a piece of to post to social media, and the media is unforgiving to your personal life and struggles.

Overall, the crowd caught every joke and held on through the ride waiting on Rock’s next surprise. I’m certain that if you like to laugh, you’ll enjoy TOP FIVE and highly recommend it. Seeing Chris Rock naked curled up in the corner as Cedric the Entertainer takes over his threesome in a Houston motel is enough for me to want to see it again.

Rock sprinkles a little truth throughout the movie with the line: “It’s never just a movie. It’s never just a song. It’s never just a book.”

Will you catch the greater message in TOP FIVE?

Ps. thanks to this film I now have a new life goal: To have a high pillow fight! That scene looked like too much fun. Well, until…

Just go see it!