A critic's high-five for 'Top Five'

Chris Rock's new comedy "Top Five" is a mess, but a good mess that captures the chaotic, unstructured lifestyle of a popular entertainer struggling with the real issues of life: drugs, alcoholism, family, romance, employment, and of course, vacillating popularity.

Rock, who both wrote and directed this movie, clearly knows his character, Andre Allen, and his New York environment extremely well, so every frame radiates not only quicksilver humor, but biting, sometimes obnoxious reality.

(There's a reason Rock's Andre has the same last name as another famous New York comic filmmaker, Woody Allen.)

When we meet Rock's standup-comic-turned-movie-star, he's trying to get his groove back after refusing to star in a third sequel to his popular "Hammy the Bear" action comedy about a machine-gun wielding ursine partner of a New York cop.

Instead, Andre has focused on expanding himself as an artist by starring in "Uprize!" a personal project dramatizing the 1791 Haitian Revolution. He has been promoting it relentlessly, despite that The New York Times film critic has castigated it with newly minted invectives.

Meanwhile, Andre's fiancee Erica (Gabrielle Union) has been ramrodding a reality show based on their upcoming high-profile wedding. The broadcast could be Andre's saving grace, now that his movie is tanking.

"If this thing flops, it could mean 'Dancing With the Stars!'" his motor-mouthed agent (Kevin Hart) shouts.

Andre's life takes a dramatic turn with the arrival of Chelsea Brown (Rosario Dawson). She's writing his profile for The New York Times, and she insists on following him around so she can get to know the real Andre extremely well.

She gets to know him so well that she gives the Times another case of breached journalistic ethics to deal with, except that the breach - journalists bedding down with sources - is never dealt with.

This marks the weakest component in "Top Five." In an era of press hyper-awareness, this plot gimmick feels a bit dated, as if borrowed from 1981's "Absence of Malice."

The more Chelsea questions Andre, the more it becomes apparent that the two bond on many levels, mostly that both are recovering alcoholics striving to keep their lives straight.

We also discover that Andre credits Erica with helping him sober up. Now that he's not drinking, Andre realizes two things: 1) he's not so funny sober, 2) he may be marrying Erica out of gratitude rather than true love.

Rock is too nimble and original to fall back on Hollywood conventions here. He uses this plot as a springboard for a manic ride through several days in Andre's nutty, combustible life, a trip that enables him to riff on rap, comedy, relationships, pharmaceutical enhancements, even the racist overtones of the "Planet of the Apes" movies. (This almost eclipses Quentin Tarantino's gay analysis of "Top Gun" in the movie "Sleep With Me.")

As a bonus, "Top Five" includes a pantheon of comedy cameos from celebrities such as Jerry Seinfeld, who dish on some of the ruder parts of their profession, significantly while sitting in a bawdy strip club.

Another bonus: ample arguments about the greatest hip-hop artists of all-time.

Well, at least the "Top Five."

“Top Five”

★ ★ ★

Starring: Chris Rock, Rosario Dawson, Gabrielle Union, Cedric the Entertainer, Kevin Hart

Directed by: Chris Rock

Other: A Paramount Pictures release. Rated R for drug use, language, nudity, sexual situations. 104 minutes