Top Five Review

RYAN: This is a new comedy starring Chris Rock in which he also wrote and directed and you can tell because he got everyone he knows in Hollywood to make an appearance.  There are so many cameos in this movies I couldn’t even keep track.

CAROLINE: Well when you can, you do, I suppose. How funny is it?

RYAN: I didn’t laugh.  I enjoyed it but I really didn’t laugh at all.  It’s really not that funny.  Some situations are and I really love the chemistry he shares with Rosario Dawson, but I didn’t actually find laugh out loud funny.

CAROLINE: What’s is about?

RYAN: Rosario plays a reporter spending a couple days interviewing Chris before his wedding to a reality TV star.  He plays a recovering alcoholic, standup comic turned movie star who wants more serious roles.  They’re good roles and I loved their banter.  They’re very good together.

CAROLINE: That’s cool. Is there some romantic chemistry there too?

RYAN: I won’t do spoilers. His fiance is played by Gabrielle Union and she’s good.  Everyone is good in this movie and you’ll recognize new stars in every scene.  Thematically, it’s behind the scenes about Hollywood and makes social commentary about celebrity, fame, audience tastes, reality TV, and more.  I like how it’s gunning politically for pop culture.

CAROLINE: That intrigues me.  Especially since we’ve both produced programming about pop culture for VH1 and the like.

RYAN: Yeah I like those aspects.  But where the movie strays is within the plot.  First of all, it’s well written, until a scene where there are a ton of SNL actors and then the whole this feels very home movie and ad-libbed.  That would be fine if I had been cracking up but I wasn’t and it felt like it jumped the shark.

CAROLINE: Oh not good.

RYAN: And then halfway through the movie, it’s feels like it switches altogether and becomes more about Rosario’s character than about Chris’s.  And that was just very odd.  I also think it’s a little unrealistic to see a reporter spend that much time with a star.  It felt like they spent a week together.

CAROLINE: Not that movies have to be realistic.

RYAN: True, but in good stories, you don’t notice or mind the suspension of disbelief as much, you know?

CAROLINE: That’s true.

RYAN: Although I wasn’t busting a gut during this, I really like the characters and Chris did a good job wearing all the hats.  And it has a good message if you’re patient for it. I loved the ending.

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