Top Five (2014)

The short. Skip Birdman. See Top Five. It’s the same movie with a couple of exceptions. Top Five has humor, is much more realistic, and you can relate more to it. It also isn’t the most over-hyped movie n the last five years. In fact, despite its 88% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes and lots of word of mouth on the street, it still surprisingly didn’t do all that great at the box office (just $23 million domestically). I did not see this movie in the theater, though it tempted me. Perhaps the most significant thing going against the film was its release date. It opened on December 12th, right in the middle of when all of the big-time award movies were in the theaters. As a result, it got lost in the shuffle. If the studio could go back in time, they might have released this movie in August.

Top Five is Chris Rock’s (I Think I Love My Wife, Death at a Funeral) best movie. I’ve been waiting forever for Rock to be in a film where he wasn’t so far over the top that he became a distraction. I remember seeing him live when he performed at my college (I think this was either 1995 or 1996). He was hilarious. He was so funny and so crude at the same time. I would have been embarrassed by some of the foul words that came out of his mouth. But since I was with my friends, I was able to laugh until tears started streaming down my cheeks.

Rock plays comedian Andre Allen, a down-and-out actor and former stand-up comedian who has likely seen his best days as a comedian pass him by. He’s a recovering alcoholic who has also had trouble with the law. He is most widely recognized for his Hammy the Bear trilogy, a franchise in which he dresses up as a cop in a bear costume the entire time. When he’s on the streets, people yell “Hammy!” to him. His film career feels more like a mockery to him than anything else. This is why he has recently decided that he will no longer do comedies, nor will he do stand-up. I wouldn’t go as far as to say that he is a depressed beyond repair actor, but he says numerous times that he doesn’t feel funny and has no interest in doing comedies. The film he is currently starring in, called Uprize, is about the Haitian Revolution. It is currently being torn to shreds by the critics who wonder why he has left his niche to pursue a genre that isn’t really for him. Allen’s major problem over the years has been with reputable New York Times movie critic James Nielson. It seems that he doesn’t like anything Andre is in and once wrote in a review that “he wouldn’t watch his movie it was in his glasses.”

Reporter Chelsea Brown (Rosario Dawson – Unstoppable, 25th Hour) has secured an interview with Andre about his film. Top Five follows Andre and Chelsea around New York City for the day. A series of flashbacks, sometimes hilarious and sometimes not, show why Andre is the person is today. She asks him why he is no longer funny and if his engagement to television star Berkani (Gabrielle Union – Think Like a Man, Bring It On) is one of love or if it is just a farce. Andre recalls the incident with Chelsea that forced him to become sober, and while this is a comedy, it doesn’t make light of his alcoholism. He also mentions that Berkani was there for him at his lowest point. Chelsea points out that Andre’s fans don’t seem very interested in Uprize and are wondering when he will do another Hammy movie or if he’ll ever do stand-up again. The questions are old to Andre. It’s as if the questions he’s asked are just on repeat. Like all of us, we’d like to think that our best days are still in front of us rather than behind us.

Andre isn’t a perfect man, and even he questions if he’s making the right decisions. He is forsaking guaranteed money by branching out in his career. But he realizes that money doesn’t buy happiness and is not happy with his life. Though the movie takes place over just a single day, we get to know Andre and Chelsea very well. And one thing we learn throughout the afternoon/evening is that appearances can be deceiving. There is both an underlying attraction and appreciation between the two leads. Both look secure and happy on the outside, but each actor has their underlining problems in their life. As they learn to trust each other, they begin to share.

Top Five is very much a comedy. There certainly are some laugh-out-loud moments. But this is not the movie’s only intent. Its desire is not just a quick laugh. Its broader aim is to tell a redemption story. Yes, this is the same story that Birdman tries to tell. There are tons of similarities and differences. I keep harping on the fact that this movie feels far more realistic than Birdman (a movie that I’m still struggling to appreciate). You won’t struggle to comprehend Top Five. It’s a fast, fun, easygoing ride that everyone can enjoy. Oh. And it’s very R-rated so prepare for that going in.

Plot 8.5/10 (not original at all, but still a fun, believable ride)
Character Development 6.5/10
Character Chemistry 8.5/10 (Rock and Dawson sizzle)
Acting 8/10
Screenplay 8.5/10
Directing 8/10
Cinematography 7.5/10
Sound 7.5/10
Hook and Reel 9/10
Universal Relevance 9/10
81%

Movies You Might Like If You Liked This Movie

Head of State
I Think I Love My Wife
Get Hard
Think Like a Man
Let’s Be Cops

365 Movies By Day

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Movies I Watch That Inspire Me to Critique!