Chris Rock's latest outing is a semi-autobiographical take on the rise and fall (and rise?) of a comedy star...
Your mileage may vary on inside-track Hollywood comedies. Among the greats, there are biting satires like The Player or Swimming With Sharks and broader, sillier works like Tropic Thunder or Bowfinger, but the kind of rarefied air in which they largely unfold can sometimes be suffocating.
Thankfully, that's not the case with Top Five, Chris Rock's first project as a writer-director since 2007's I Think I Love My Wife, and inarguably his best so far. With a semi-autobiographical approach, the film clearly has a lot of influences from other films but thrives on a brand of charm that is entirely its own.
Andre Allen (Rock) is a stand-up comedian turned movie star who is best known for a trilogy of cringe-making comedy movies in which he stars as a crime-fighting bear called Hammy.
Your mileage may vary on inside-track Hollywood comedies. Among the greats, there are biting satires like The Player or Swimming With Sharks and broader, sillier works like Tropic Thunder or Bowfinger, but the kind of rarefied air in which they largely unfold can sometimes be suffocating.
Thankfully, that's not the case with Top Five, Chris Rock's first project as a writer-director since 2007's I Think I Love My Wife, and inarguably his best so far. With a semi-autobiographical approach, the film clearly has a lot of influences from other films but thrives on a brand of charm that is entirely its own.
Andre Allen (Rock) is a stand-up comedian turned movie star who is best known for a trilogy of cringe-making comedy movies in which he stars as a crime-fighting bear called Hammy.
- 5/12/2015
- by simonbrew
- Den of Geek
Director: Chris Rock; Screenwriter: Chris Rock; Starring: Chris Rock, Rosario Dawson, Gabrielle Union, Cedric the Entertainer, Jb Smoove; Running time: 102 mins; Certificate: 15
Even the Farrelly brothers, in their heyday, would have shied away from some of the bad sex gross-out gags that Chris Rock serves up in Top Five. He writes, directs and stars in a fitfully hilarious portrait of an A-List comedian at a personal crossroads, though the central romance with Rosario Dawson doesn't quite hit the same dizzy heights as the stand-up material which obviously inspired the film.
Rock calls his character Andre Allen, maybe a vague reference to Woody Allen as the action opens and unfolds on the streets of New York where he gasbags on wide-ranging matters with Dawson's savvy New York Times journalist Chelsea Brown. Behind the camera, too, Rock is quite inventive, jumping back and forth, in and out of conversations, to create a...
Even the Farrelly brothers, in their heyday, would have shied away from some of the bad sex gross-out gags that Chris Rock serves up in Top Five. He writes, directs and stars in a fitfully hilarious portrait of an A-List comedian at a personal crossroads, though the central romance with Rosario Dawson doesn't quite hit the same dizzy heights as the stand-up material which obviously inspired the film.
Rock calls his character Andre Allen, maybe a vague reference to Woody Allen as the action opens and unfolds on the streets of New York where he gasbags on wide-ranging matters with Dawson's savvy New York Times journalist Chelsea Brown. Behind the camera, too, Rock is quite inventive, jumping back and forth, in and out of conversations, to create a...
- 5/7/2015
- Digital Spy
‘Tis the season for awards, and while voters are busy weighing the merits of top Oscar contenders, the industry’s intangibles have fallen by the wayside. The year in film is comprised of so many movie moments and overlooked details that go unrecognized by Hollywood, so here’s a list of superlatives and unconventional awards that serve as an alternative to the prim-and-proper Oscars. There’s even more ground to cover than last year, so let’s get started …
Movies
Best Animal Title: Gold: “Birdman” Silver: “The Dog” Bronze: “Foxcatcher” Honorable Mention: “Big Bad Wolves”
Best Movie Set Primarily in One Location: “Locke,...
Movies
Best Animal Title: Gold: “Birdman” Silver: “The Dog” Bronze: “Foxcatcher” Honorable Mention: “Big Bad Wolves”
Best Movie Set Primarily in One Location: “Locke,...
- 12/31/2014
- by Jeff Sneider
- The Wrap
Ever since she went head-to-head with Kirsten Dunst in "Bring It On," we've been waiting for Gabrielle Union to have her moment. She's shown glimpses of what a great actress she is, but she hasn't really found the role that could take her to the next level. Union's impressive play on a TV reality queen in Chris Rock's "Top Five" is just another welcome tease on how talented she really is. Far from the streets of Manhattan, where Andre Allen (Rock) and Chelsea Brown (Rosario Dawson) conduct their interview, Erica Long (Union) is preparing for a televised wedding spectacle in the film. America's biggest comedy movie star, Andre, and its biggest reality TV star are going to walk down the aisle and every moment will be recorded for viewers to salivate over. Andre is pretty uncomfortable with this, but as "Top Five" rolls on we discover why he's so...
- 12/14/2014
- by Gregory Ellwood
- Hitfix
Chris Rock writes, directs and stars in the new comedy "Top Five", his most mature work as a director to date. Rock plays Andre Allen, a recovering alcoholic movie star/comedian who doesn't want to be funny anymore. It takes place on the day his new dramatic movie "Uprize" opens, as he spends the day with a New York Times writer who is doing a profile on him. It is also the eve of his marriage to his reality TV star fiancee, played by Gabrielle Union. The Times writer, Chelsea Brown, is played by Rosario Dawson, and she challenges Andre to reveal more of himself to the media and public than he's ever done before.
Now, those going in expecting a full blown comedy might be disappointed. There are quite a few explosively funny scenes, such as a Houston hotel room rendezvous and Rock's character's bachelor party, but there is...
Now, those going in expecting a full blown comedy might be disappointed. There are quite a few explosively funny scenes, such as a Houston hotel room rendezvous and Rock's character's bachelor party, but there is...
- 12/12/2014
- by Daniel T
- LRMonline.com
Top Five
Written & Directed by Chris Rock
USA, 2014
Chris Rock’s new tour de force, Top Five, is so cleverly written that you don’t even realize it’s a romantic-comedy until the deed is nearly done. By that point, even the coldest, most cynical man is powerless to resist its charms. Smart, nasty and frequently hilarious, there is more than enough substance to compensate for the occasional missteps. Between this and Jon Stewart’s Rosewater, comedians are flexing some serious cinematic muscle in 2014.
Rock gives a stellar performance as comedian-turned-actor Andre Allen. Andre’s dubious claim to fame comes from playing a crime-fighting, live-action teddy bear named Hammy. Similar to Riggan in Birdman, three blockbuster Hammy movies have left Andre hell bent on earning some respect for his acting chops. Respect is hard to come by, however, when your marriage to a reality television star (Gabrielle Union) is more...
Written & Directed by Chris Rock
USA, 2014
Chris Rock’s new tour de force, Top Five, is so cleverly written that you don’t even realize it’s a romantic-comedy until the deed is nearly done. By that point, even the coldest, most cynical man is powerless to resist its charms. Smart, nasty and frequently hilarious, there is more than enough substance to compensate for the occasional missteps. Between this and Jon Stewart’s Rosewater, comedians are flexing some serious cinematic muscle in 2014.
Rock gives a stellar performance as comedian-turned-actor Andre Allen. Andre’s dubious claim to fame comes from playing a crime-fighting, live-action teddy bear named Hammy. Similar to Riggan in Birdman, three blockbuster Hammy movies have left Andre hell bent on earning some respect for his acting chops. Respect is hard to come by, however, when your marriage to a reality television star (Gabrielle Union) is more...
- 12/12/2014
- by J.R. Kinnard
- SoundOnSight
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...
- 12/12/2014
- by Jim Batts
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Before I saw a single frame of Chris Rock's Top Five, the buzz suggested it was some kind of riotous comedy that would have me bent over with laughter, but it's not, and I don't mean that in a bad way. It's more a drama with comedic aspects and very much a cousin to Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's Birdman in that it tells the story of an actor whose heyday as a mainstream celebrity appears to be behind him and as a result, he's looking at an indeterminate future. Rock plays Andre Allen, best known as the star of the Hammy the Bear trilogy of movies. The Hammy character was a police officer that was either dressed as a bear or supposed to be an actual bear, I couldn't tell, but now Andre is putting all that behind him as he focuses on more serious fare such as his latest...
- 12/11/2014
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
At a recent New York City press junket, Shadow and Act was present as the cast of "Top Five" spoke about the film, and their experiences with Chris Rock as the writer-director and star of the film. Present were Chris Rock (Writer/Director/ Andre Allen), Rosario Dawson (Chelsea Brown), Ben Vereen (Carl Allen), J.B. Smoove (Silk), Gabrielle Union (Erica Long), Sherri Shepherd (Vanessa). Here are some of the highlights: "Top Five" vs. Chris Rock’s Stand-Up Chris Rock: I made this movie just like my stand-up. I use to have a movie process and a stand-up process. I use to say, these are the jokes for the movie and then I’d have a whole other file for...
- 12/9/2014
- by Aramide A Tinubu
- ShadowAndAct
In "Top Five," which is written and directed by Chris Rock, Rosario Dawson plays Chelsea Brown, a New York Times reporter. Her current assignment has her shadowing and interviewing actor Andre Allen (also Rock), as he promotes a new film. The experience for both Brown and Allen proves an enlightening one. Both have secrets revealed and have to reexamine some of their preconceived notions. Sitting down to talk to Dawson about the role, she is quite forthcoming about the difficulties inherent in taking part in an interview. Not just from the reporter's end, but the actor's as well. "There's an art to it," she tells us, referencing the constructing and asking of questions and keeping the interviewee's "feet to the fire." There is also, which may be implied but not stated, an art to answering such questions. One wrong sentence on either end and things can go off the rails completely.
- 12/5/2014
- by Josh Lasser
- Hitfix
I honestly didn't know Chris Rock had this in him. As a stand-up, Rock is one of the greats. The way he evolved was incredibly impressive, and by the time he released "Bring The Pain," he was in complete command of his craft. He knew how to ride an audience to victory. On film, though, I don't think Rock has ever even approached mastering things the way he has with live performance. He's done stuff I've enjoyed, and one of the things that made his early work noteworthy was just how extreme he was. His scene in "I'm Gonna Git You Sucka" was one of that film's biggest laughs for me. For literally years afterwards, the thought of "One rib!" would kill me all over again. He got to play with Eddie Murphy in "Boomerang," and I remember being excited to see the two of them in a scene, knowing...
- 12/4/2014
- by Drew McWeeny
- Hitfix
It would not be wrong to suggest that "Top Five" is Chris Rock as you've never seen him before. Yes, Rock has directed, written, and starred in movies previously, but "Top Five" is exceptionally different from "I Think I Love my Wife" and "Head of State." The movie features Rock as a stand-up comedian turned comic actor, Andre Allen, who is trying to move away from comedy and towards dramatic fare. On the day his new movie, the tale of a slave revolt in Haiti, opens, he is shadowed by a reporter from the New York Times, Chelsea Brown (Rosario Dawson), who is doing a piece on him. It proves a learning experience for both characters. "Top Five," is a look at celebrity, what it means to be a celebrity, and what actors can endure on a day-to-day basis. Rather than a woe-is-me tale of how awful it is to be rich and famous,...
- 12/3/2014
- by Josh Lasser
- Hitfix
At a recent press junket, Shadow and Act was present as the cast of "Top Five" spoke about the film, and their experiences with Chris Rock as the writer-director and star of the film. Here are some of the highlights: Chris Rock (Writer/Director/ Andre Allen), Rosario Dawson (Chelsea Brown), Ben Vereen (Carl Allen), J.B. Smoove (Silk), Gabrielle Union (Erica Long), Sherri Shepherd (Vanessa). "Top Five" vs. Chris Rock’s Stand-Up Chris Rock: I made this movie just like my stand-up. I use to have a movie process and a stand-up process. I use to say, these are the jokes for the movie and then I’d have a whole other file for stand-up. Not this one....
- 12/1/2014
- by Aramide A Tinubu
- ShadowAndAct
Sometimes if the parts aren't coming to you, you simply need to create them. It's an old story in the entertainment business and the genesis of Chris Rock's fantastic new flick "Top Five." Rock has won four Emmy Awards and is known as being one of the top stand-up comics of his generation, but if he was going to make something "meaningful" on the big screen he was going to have to do some soul searching. That meant trying to make a movie better than the previous films he either wrote or directed, including "Down to Earth" (screenplay), "Head of State" (wrote and directed) and the underrated "I Think I Love My Wife," arguably his most personal work before "Top Five." Speaking to HitFix this past weekend, Rock says his thought process was: "If I want to work in the type of movies that I want to work in,...
- 11/26/2014
- by Gregory Ellwood
- Hitfix
After creating quite a bit of chatter at this year's Toronto International Film Festival—made only louder by a rather fierce bidding war—we're finally getting our first look at Chris Rock's Top Five with the film's first trailer. Rock, who co-wrote and directed the film, stars as Andre Allen, "the funniest man in America," star of the blockbuster "Hammy the Bear" series, and fiance of reality star Erica Long (Gabrielle Union). But there's one problem: he's kind of over being funny. Rosario Dawson plays New York Times journalist Chelsea Brown, who, in an effort to get something "real" from the actor,...
- 10/17/2014
- by Emily Blake
- EW - Inside Movies
If we were to list some of the most horrific cultural tragedies of the 20th and 21st century, the paucity of films that have effectively captured the comic genius that is Chris Rock would have to … not make that list. It wouldn’t even make the honorable mentions. But still, it’s astounding that after three decades of work in cinema, Rock’s sensibility has failed to be transplanted successfully from stage to screen. Alas, Top Five is probably as close as we’ll ever get to a proper Chris Rock joint. Vulgar, obscene and insightful, Rock’s third directorial effort proves to be his strongest and most similar to his rollicking standup routines. At once autobiographical and satirical, the film picks up with Andre (Rock), a celebrated comedian no longer interested in being the funny man. After four years of sobriety, Andre believes he’s incapable of making people laugh without being intoxicated. So...
- 9/15/2014
- by Sam Fragoso
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
Toronto — If you were to look over Chris Rock's lengthy and impressive career you might think he peaked with HBO's "The Chris Rock Show." Or perhaps it was his string of Emmy-winning standup specials including 2008's "Kill the Messenger." Or perhaps it was as the producer and co-creator of the critically acclaimed TV series "Everybody Hates Chris." Well, happily, at the ripe young age of 49, Rock has hit a career high with his new film "Top Five," which debuted at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival Saturday night. The third movie written by, directed by and starring Rock after "Head of State" and "I Think I Love My Wive," "Top Five" finds the comedian playing Andre Allen, a former stand up comedian turned movie star who is at a major turning point in his life. Best known for his character "Hammy" – essentially Rock in a bear costume with guns blazing yelling "It's Hammy time!
- 9/7/2014
- by Gregory Ellwood
- Hitfix
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