''Top Five'' is a 2014 American

comedy film A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the ol ...

written and directed by Chris Rock. Produced by

Scott Rudin Scott Rudin (born July 14, 1958) is an American film, television, and theatre producer. His films include the Academy Award-winning Best Picture ''No Country for Old Men,'' as well as '' Uncut Gems'', '' Lady Bird, Fences, The Girl with the Drag ...

and Eli Bush, the film stars Rock,

Rosario Dawson Rosario Isabel Dawson (born May 9, 1979) is an American actress. She made her feature-film debut in the 1995 independent drama ''Kids''. Her subsequent film roles include ''He Got Game'' (1998), '' Josie and the Pussycats'' (2001), ''Men in Bl ...

, and

Gabrielle Union Gabrielle Monique Union-Wade ( Union; born October 29, 1972) is an American actress. Her career began in the 1990s, when she made dozens of appearances on television sitcoms, prior to landing supporting roles in 1999 teen films ''She's All That' ...

, and follows

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

comedian and film star Andre Allen (Rock), who has to confront his past and comedic career while doing an interview with journalist Chelsea Brown (Dawson). The ensemble cast features comedians

J. B. Smoove Jerry Angelo Brooks (born December 16, 1965), commonly known by his stage name J. B. Smoove, is an American actor, comedian and writer. After beginning his career in 1995 on ''Def Comedy Jam'', he was a writer and performer on NBC's ''Saturday Ni ...

Kevin Hart Kevin Darnell Hart (born July 6, 1979) is an American comedian and actor. Originally known as a stand-up comedian, he has since starred in Hollywood films and on TV. He has also released several well-received comedy albums. After winning se ...

, Sherri Shephard,

Michael Che Michael Che Campbell (; born May 19, 1983) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, and writer. He is best known for his work on ''Saturday Night Live'', where he has served as co-anchor on '' Weekend Update'' alongside Colin Jost, and the two w ...

Tracy Morgan Tracy Jamal Morgan (born November 10, 1968) is an American stand-up comedian and actor best known for his television work as a cast member on ''Saturday Night Live'' (1996–2003) and for his role as Tracy Jordan in the sitcom ''30 Rock'' (2006 ...

Jay Pharoah Jared Antonio Farrow (born October 14, 1987), better known by his stage name Jay Pharoah, is an American stand-up comedian, actor, and impressionist. Pharoah was a cast member on NBC's sketch comedy series ''Saturday Night Live'' from 2010 to 201 ...

, Leslie Jones, and

Cedric the Entertainer Cedric Antonio Kyles (born April 24, 1964), better known by his stage name Cedric the Entertainer, is an American stand-up comedian and actor. He hosted BET's '' ComicView'' during the 1993–1994 season and '' Def Comedy Jam'' in 1995. He is ...

. Comedians Jerry Seinfeld, Adam Sandler, and

Whoopi Goldberg Caryn Elaine Johnson (born November 13, 1955), known professionally as Whoopi Goldberg (), is an American actor, comedian, author, and television personality.Kuchwara, Michael (AP Drama Writer)"Whoopi Goldberg: A One-Woman Character Parade". ' ...

appear as themselves. It was screened in the Special Presentations section of the

2014 Toronto International Film Festival The 39th annual Toronto International Film Festival, the 39th event in the Toronto International Film Festival series, was held in Canada from 4–14 September 2014. David Dobkin's film '' The Judge'', starring Robert Downey Jr. and Robert D ...

and was released in the United States on December 12, 2014 by Paramount Pictures. It received critical acclaim, with praise directed at the performances of the cast, and Rock's screenplay and direction, as well as comparisons to

Woody Allen Heywood "Woody" Allen (born Allan Stewart Konigsberg; November 30, 1935) is an American film director, writer, actor, and comedian whose career spans more than six decades and multiple Academy Award-winning films. He began his career writing ...

's ''

Stardust Memories ''Stardust Memories'' is a 1980 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Woody Allen and starring Allen, Charlotte Rampling, Jessica Harper and Marie-Christine Barrault. Sharon Stone has a brief role, in her film debut. The film is ab ...

'' (1980).

Plot

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' reporter Chelsea Brown is spending a day interviewing comedian and recovering alcoholic Andre Allen, star of the hit film franchise ''Hammy The Bear,'' about a cop in a bear suit. Chelsea has forgotten her audio recorder, so they first go to her apartment. While there they discuss a magazine article about the Cinderella complex. Chelsea explains that Cinderella left something behind to let the prince know that she wanted to see him again. Andre is attempting a foray into serious films with ''Uprize'', in which he portrays Haitian Revolution figure

Dutty Boukman Dutty Boukman (or Boukman Dutty; died 7 November 1791) was an early leader of the Haitian Revolution. Born in Senegambia (present-day Senegal and Gambia), he was enslaved to Jamaica. He eventually ended up in Haiti, where he became a leader of ...

, and is sensitive to criticism, particularly by ''Times'' critic James Nielson, whose previous reviews of Andre's work have been negative and insulting. As the interview begins in his limousine, Andre recalls his lowest point, when he was in

Houston Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 i ...

in 2003 and met Jazzy Dee, who supplied him with drugs, alcohol and women. When Jazzy refused to pay the women, they contended they were raped, leading to Andre's arrest and subsequent sobriety. After the limo gets hit by a cab, Andre and Chelsea wander the city. Andre stops at a jewelry store to pick up the rings for his wedding to reality-TV star Erica Long. Following a subtle, tense interaction with Andre assisting an acquaintance who is actually his father, they visit the apartment of Andre's old friends and his ex-girlfriend. Chelsea interviews each, learning that Andre wasn't particularly funny when he started in stand-up comedy. They nominate their five favorite rappers, including a sixth in their lineups as well. Andre goes to radio shows such as ''

Opie and Anthony ''Opie and Anthony'' was an American radio show hosted by Gregg "Opie" Hughes and Anthony Cumia that aired from March 1995 to July 2014, with comedian Jim Norton serving as third mic from 2001. The show originated in 1994 when Cumia took part in ...

'' to promote ''Uprize'' and attends a press conference with fellow stars including Taraji P. Henson and

Gabourey Sidibe Gabourey Sidibe ( ; born May 6, 1983) is an American actress. She made her acting debut in the 2009 film '' Precious'', a role that earned her the Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead, in addition to nominations for the Golden Globe an ...

. To his chagrin, Andre is asked when there will be another Hammy movie. At a hotel, Andre and Chelsea unexpectedly encounter her boyfriend, Brad, along with his friend Ryan, who is wearing Brad's shirt. Chelsea deduces Brad is cheating on her with Ryan. She and Andre, both recovering alcoholics, stop in a liquor store but resist making a purchase. Chelsea explains in graphic detail how the signs were there that Brad was gay. Andre laughs, calling Chelsea naive. She becomes angry and insults his movie, but the two end up kissing. Andre asks to borrow Chelsea's phone, since his own died. While using it, he sees an email from her editor, revealing James Nielson is Chelsea herself. The truth devastates Andre, who angrily tells Chelsea he felt he was never funny unless he was drunk or high, and now is fearful for his career. Despondent and acting out at a supermarket, he is arrested by police. In jail, Andre calls Erica, who fumes over the arrest, mainly because of how it will look for her image. She tells Andre this piece of fame is all she has since she thinks she has no other talent. Erica's manager Benny takes the phone and tells Andre to go to his bachelor party for good press and fly out for the wedding. Andre's bodyguard Silk bails out Andre, and they go to a strip club for a bachelor party with a theme based on Hammy The Bear. There, Andre hangs out with Jerry Seinfeld, Adam Sandler, and

. They give him different views on marriage and sex. Andre runs into Chelsea, who wants to make it up to him and invites him to follow her. Andre, Chelsea, and Silk go to the

Comedy Cellar The Comedy Cellar is a comedy club in Manhattan where many top New York comedians perform. It is widely considered to be the best comedy club in the United States. It was founded in 1982 by then stand-up comedian, and current television writer/ ...

, where Andre gets up onstage and performs standup for the first time in years. He turns out to still be funny, and the crowd loves him. After the performance, he tells Chelsea he got inspired to return to standup after being in jail and talking to DMX, who told Andre he does not want to keep rapping and wants to sing instead. DMX then sings "

Smile A smile is a facial expression formed primarily by flexing the muscles at the sides of the mouth. Some smiles include a contraction of the muscles at the corner of the eyes, an action known as a Duchenne smile. Among humans, a smile expresses ...

", terribly. They drop Chelsea off at her place, where she and Andre share one last kiss before departing. Andre asks for her top five rappers, which she lists. While driving away, Silk tells Andre he should have gone after Chelsea. Andre goes through the gift bag from the party and finds items including a scented candle and a bottle of vodka. Then he pulls out a slipper, and Silk smiles. After the credits begin rolling, the movie returns to the party, where Jerry Seinfeld shares his "top five" as

Sugarhill Gang Sugar Hill may refer to: Places In the United States: * Sugar Hill, Georgia, a city * Sugar Hill, New Hampshire, a town * Sugar Hill, Manhattan, New York, a section of Harlem * Sugar Hill (New York), a mountain in Schuyler County * Sugar Hi ...

, Eminem, Wale, Ice Cube, and

Sir Mix-a-Lot Anthony L. Ray (born August 12, 1963), better known by his stage name Sir Mix-a-Lot, is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. He is best known for his 1992 hit song " Baby Got Back", which peaked at number one on the ''Billboard'' ...

Cast

* Chris Rock as Andre Allen *

as Chelsea Brown, a journalist assigned to interview Andre *

as Erica Long, Andre's fiancée *

as Charles, Andre's Ivy League-educated agent *

Sherri Shepherd Sherri Shepherd (born April 22, 1967) is an American actress, comedian, author, broadcaster, and television personality. She currently hosts the daily syndicated daytime talk show, '' Sherri''. From 2007 to 2014, Shepherd was a co-host of the da ...

as Vanessa, Andre's ex-girlfriend who still lives in the neighborhood *

as Silk, Andre's "security guard/assistant" who is never far from his boss's side *

Romany Malco Romany relates or may refer to: *The Romani people or Romany people, also known as Gypsies *Romani language or Romany language, the language of the Romani people *"Romany", the pseudonym of a broadcaster and writer of Romani descent, George Bramwel ...

as Benny Barnes *

Hayley Marie Norman Hayley Marie Norman is an American actress, writer, and creator best known for her roles in ''Kenan'', '' A.P. Bio'', ''Hancock'', ''Chris Rock's Top Five'', ''Adam Ruins Everything'', ''Fired Up!'', and ''Norbit''. Norman has written, produc ...

as Tammy * Karlie Redd as Rhonda * Rachel Feinstein as Publicist *

Dan Naturman Dan Naturman (born October 20, 1969) is an American stand-up comedian, who has made numerous appearances on television. His performing style of grouchiness and self-deprecation accompanies his comic content about modern topics such as Internet ...

as Young Comic *

Rick Shapiro Rick Shapiro (born April 13, 1959) is a Los Angeles-based comedian and actor. Life and career Shapiro was born in New Jersey. Spending his early years in New York City and New Jersey, Shapiro started his career in the early 1980s as a comedia ...

as Biker AA Guy * Greer Barnes as Uprize Actor * Leslie Jones as Lisa *

as Herself * Jerry Seinfeld as Himself * Adam Sandler as Himself *

as Fred * Anders Holm as Brad * Matthew Wilkas as Ryan *

as Jazzy Dee * Opie and

Anthony Anthony or Antony is a masculine given name, derived from the '' Antonii'', a ''gens'' ( Roman family name) to which Mark Antony (''Marcus Antonius'') belonged. According to Plutarch, the Antonii gens were Heracleidae, being descendants of Anton, ...

as Themselves *

as Paul *

Ben Vereen Benjamin Augustus Vereen (born October 10, 1946) is an American actor, dancer and singer. Vereen gained prominence for his performances in the original Broadway productions of the musicals '' Jesus Christ Superstar'', for which he received a T ...

as Carl Allen, Andre's Father * Brian Regan as Engineer *

as Mike * Hassan Johnson as Craig *

Doug Stanhope Doug Stanhope (born March 25, 1967) is an American stand-up comedian, author, political activist and podcast host. His stand-up material favors caustic and often obscene observations of life in the style of Bill Hicks and Bill Burr, which he del ...

as Police Officer *

Tichina Arnold Tichina Rolanda Arnold (; born June 28, 1969) is an American actress and singer. She began her career as a child actor, appearing in supporting roles in ''Little Shop of Horrors'' (1986) and '' How I Got into College'' (1989) before being cast a ...

as Theatre Manager *

Luis Guzmán Luis Guzmán (born August 28, 1956) is a Puerto Rican actor. His career spans over 40 years and includes a number of films and television series. He has appeared in the Paul Thomas Anderson films ''Boogie Nights'' (1997), ''Magnolia'' (1999) an ...

as Himself * Julie Halston as Cell Phone Lady *

Míriam Colón Míriam Colón Valle (August 20, 1936 – March 3, 2017) was a Puerto Rican actress. She was the founder and director of New York City's Puerto Rican Traveling Theater. Beginning her career in the early 1950s, she performed on Broadway and on ...

as Chelsea's Grandmother *

Olga Merediz Olga Merediz (born February 15, 1956) is an American actress and singer. Merediz originated the role of Abuela Claudia in the Broadway musical ''In the Heights'', for which she received a Tony Award nomination for Best Performance by a Featured ...

as Chelsea's Mom * Taraji P. Henson as Herself *

as Herself * DMX as Himself * Charlie Rose as Himself *

Bruce Bruce Bruce Church (born February 9, 1965), better known as Bruce Bruce, is an American actor and stand-up comedian from Atlanta, Georgia. He grew up in The Bluff. He was the host of BET's ''ComicView'' and has appeared in various stand-up comedy ...

as Himself

Production

Principal photography Principal photography is the phase of producing a film or television show in which the bulk of shooting takes place, as distinct from the phases of pre-production and post-production. Personnel Besides the main film personnel, such as a ...

began on June 24, 2013, in

. In July 2014, the film's title was changed from ''Finally Famous'' to ''Top Five''.

Release

The film

premiered A première, also spelled premiere, is the debut (first public presentation) of a play, film, dance, or musical composition. A work will often have many premières: a world première (the first time it is shown anywhere in the world), its first ...

at the

on September 6, 2014. On September 10, 2014, Paramount Pictures confirmed their acquisition of the film's worldwide distribution rights for $12.5 million and agreed to pay at least $20 million in promotion and marketing. In November 2014, Paramount announced ''Top Five'' would receive a wide release on December 12, 2014.

Home media

''Top Five'' was released on

Blu-ray The Blu-ray Disc (BD), often known simply as Blu-ray, is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released on June 20, 2006 worldwide. It is designed to supersede the DVD format, and capable of st ...

and

DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kind ...

on March 17, 2015.

Reception

Review aggregation website

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...

, gives the film an approval rating of 85%, based on 186 reviews, with an average rating of 7.2/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "As smart, funny, and trenchant as writer-director-star Chris Rock's best standup work, ''Top Five'' is a career highlight for its creator—and one of the comedy standouts of 2014."

Metacritic Metacritic is a website that aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created by Jason Dietz, Marc ...

gives the film a score of 81 out of 100, based on 37 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim". Some critics found similarities between the Andre Allen character and

's Sandy Bates in ''

'' (1980).

Accolades

Future

In an interview with ''

Complex Complex commonly refers to: * Complexity, the behaviour of a system whose components interact in multiple ways so possible interactions are difficult to describe ** Complex system, a system composed of many components which may interact with each ...

'', Rock said he meets with producer

"every week now going over this next movie", and that Rudin wants him "to work at a faster pace". He also suggested that "a lot of the same cast" would be involved, mentioning "you might want to see see a little more of Leslie Jones or Tracy organ once he gets better. I think Jerry Seinfeld showed us things we haven't seen." The 2016 Tyler Perry comedy film, '' Boo! A Madea Halloween'', is based on a fictional film featured in ''Top Five''.

References

External links

* * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Top Five 2014 films 2014 comedy films 2014 independent films American comedy films American independent films 2010s English-language films Films scored by Ludwig Göransson Films about actors Films directed by Chris Rock Films produced by Scott Rudin Films set in New York City Films shot in New York City 2010s hip hop films Paramount Pictures films Films with screenplays by Chris Rock Haitian Revolution films Films about comedians Films about weddings in the United States Films about alcoholism Films about journalism 2010s American films