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Top Five
[Blu-ray]
Blu-ray ALL - America - Paramount Home Entertainment Review written by and copyright: Abraham Phillips (10th March 2015). |
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The Film
 Chris Rock just became the black Woody Allen. "Top Five" may not be for everyone - it's very crude, vulgar and very blunt in sexual nature. However, it's actually a very interesting movie. It makes fun of Hollywood and the inside stuff that takes place. Beyond the humor and crudeness, there is really a dramatic truth to the film. An honesty to a story that has a meaningful underlying reality of relationships, people hiding behind inner-demons and being something they’re not; or being that something to please others. Comedian Andre Allen (Chris Rock), wants to act in dramas and become a more serious actor. He's trying to promote his new drama feature and give his career a boost in a new direction, so he agrees to be followed by a New York Times Journalist who wants an interview and the inside scoop. The journalist Chelsea Brown (Rosario Dawson), wants to know and find out the inner side of Andre Allen. She tags along with his family and friends, where a lot of great jokes and trashing talking each other comes out. Amid all this, there are some cameos from rapper DMX, and comedians Jerry Seinfeld and Adam Sandler among others and they add a fun appeal to the film. Among the cameos and star power, the shining star of the film is the gorgeous Gabrielle Union who aces her part as Erica Long, future wife to Andre Allen. Erica Long is a reality star on Bravo in a show that chronicles her entire life, and Andre Allen is a part of it, hinting on the notion that in Hollywood, everything is filmed. Chelsea discovers that they each have their own demons and struggles. The butting heads mentality of two strong individuals play throughout the daily interview. Yet they have more in common with each other than they thought. The chemistry between all the players is what works. All of the comical banter is laugh out loud funny. If you enjoy crude humor and language in the no holds barred style of raunchy comedy, then this is for you. As you would expect, Rock's concept mixed with stand-up, reality, drama, and a little romance to add flavor, the story is well balanced. The purpose of this film is to make you laugh and it accomplishes that. There is, a deeper message however - the movie is a painful example of shining a light on your personal demons, addictions and the truth of discovering yourself and not the shell that others say you are. I watched this film two times before writing this review. The first viewing, I found it mildly humorous. After watching some of the special features where Rock explains the style of the film, I understood it better. He wanted to approach this film like a stand-up comedy show. If you’re a die hard fan of his, then give it go, but it’s also something that I feel is far away from what Chris Rock has ever done. It's not the comedy I remember; it's the message. The most memorable moments in this film are between Dawson and Rock, as their chemistry is solid. The comedy is at times forgettable, whereas the drama and the story sticks, and that is why I think this film works. Upon my second viewing, I became a part of it, become a part of the characters, because we all have personal demons of some sort. I found myself really liking this film as I watched it a second time. It grows on you. I watched it a third time with the commentary and it sealed the deal for me, in saying this is a worthy film, and I highly recommend it for those who understand this style of filmmaking. Just like the premise of the film, Andre Allen is only looked at as a comedian and not taken serious. This is a slick, fun, romantic comedy, done in the style that you would expect from a talented comedian. This has a great cast of performers. Rock not only stars in it, he wrote it, and directed it. I have to confess this usually is not my style of film, but I found myself growing fond of it quickly. I laughed hysterically throughout. There is a naughty nature mixed with a silliness that grabs a hold of you. It may be crude at times but it's a great experience.
Video
This film is presented in aspect ratio: 2.40:1 in high definition 1080p 24/fps and using AVC MPEG-4 compression. The video is crystal clear and I see no fault with the vibrant colors which are crisp, and look fantastic. There is no fault in this image, it looks beautiful.
Audio
Just like the video, there is nothing wrong with the audio. I heard it clearly, without any problems making themselves known. The audio is at its best. There are tracks in English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz/24-bit), French Dolby Digital 5.1, Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1, and Portuguese Dolby Digital 5.1. Not only does it come with English Subtitles, it also comes with French, Spanish, Portuguese subtitles and an additional English for the hearing impaired track.
Extras
Paramount has released this film with an audio commentary, featurettes, deleted scenes, a DVD and a digital copy version of the film. DISC ONE: BLU-RAY Audio commentary is included by writer/director/star Chris Rock and co-star J.B. Smoove. It's absolutely priceless and worth the buy just for it. Also an outtake feature of Andre Allen’s Stand-up entitled "Top Five Andre Allen Standup Outtakes" runs for 6 minutes 22 seconds. These were moments cut out from the stand-up moments in the movie. I am glad they decided to edit these out, these really were not funny and really a waste of space. You also get deleted scenes. These scenes were a true highlight. One of the great scenes, which should have been left in the movie, was when Andre was being interviewed by Charlie Rose. Andre raps a song from the iconic group NWA, in what is a priceless moment that is just plain awesome. The others are no real loss. The scenes are: - "Andre Raps" runs for 1 minute 55 seconds. - "First Day Your Movie Comes Out" runs for 40 seconds. - "These Shoes" runs for 55 seconds. You also get "Top Five Moments You Didn't See in the Film" a montage of footage which runs for 4 minutes 16 seconds. "The Making of Top Five" is a standard EPK style featurette which runs for 10 minutes 26 seconds. Also a feature entitled "It's Never Just a Movie: Chris Rock and Top Five" featurette runs for 20 minutes 8 seconds. This was an interesting watch with Rock explaining what he wanted the film to be about, its themes, etc. DISC ONE: DVD This Blu-Ray also comes with a digital copy and also a DVD copy. It’s always a great plus, when you can buy one product and get three format versions.
Packaging
Packaged in a Blu-ray case that holds two discs. Also comes with a slip-case.
Overall
There are moments in this, I busted a lung laughing so hard. Too many spots became a laugh out loud good time. Loved the DMX singing spot in jail, which was priceless. It's not the usual Rock style, but it manages to show a new side to him.
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