Top Five
Director: Chris Rock
Talent: Chris Rock, Rosario Dawson, Gabrielle Union, J.B. Smoove
Release Date: 15th May 2015
Funnyman Andre Allen (Rock) ditches crowd-pleasing comedy for slave rebellion documentaries, leaving fans and an inquisitive journalist (Dawson) to ask ‘why?’
The temptation with a film like Top Five that’s written, directed by and starring Chris Rock is to read a lot of Rock’s own life into the narrative. His recent work in the Grown Ups franchise does strike a similar note to this film’s Hammy the Bear, but this is where the real world comparisons end. Instead, the film is best viewed as a showcase of influences. We have the obvious Woody Allen homage in the title character and the not-quite-but-almost May-December relationship at the film’s core, while Spike Lee and Rock’s long-time friend and collaborator Louis C.K. also leaves an impression on the film’s style and dialogue.
Despite its lead character leaving laughter behind, Top Five is largely funny and sometimes hysterical, exploring fame in a way that is personal without feeling indulgent. Audiences can also look forward to Jerry Seinfeld making it rain in a strip club.
Words: Luke Maxwell
