Chris Rock is the best stand-up comedian working today. He has an amazing voice and delivery, but what makes his comedy work the most is the writing. The set-up, the execution, the word selection, the punchline, the implications. His material is rooted in reality, and is funny because it speaks the truth on any subject; from adultery and O.J. Simpson, to his infamous "Black People Vs. Niggas" routine and his mocking of the Backstreet Boys and NSync at the 1999 Video Music Awards. He is a master at using line repetition, lengthy off-topic digressions, and payoff jokes. Ever since his series on HBO, his work has become increasingly more topical and politically minded. This suits Rock well as he is one of the more piercing social commentators among his contemporaries (Jon Stewart, Keith Olbermann, South Park). Rock constantly works on the road and seems to be a committed standup artist.
Rock has not had that much luck in the movies however. CB4 was one of Rock's first creative projects to hit the big screen while he was still associated with SNL. While I have a soft spot for the film and its sendup of early-90's gangsta-rap and music culture, it didn't exactly burn up the box office. He has appeared in numerous films, most noteworthy being Dogma, and Nurse Betty.
Since, Rock has co-written at least three films made into production: Down To Earth (2001), which was directed by the The Weitz Brothers (ye of The Golden Compass and American Pie(the original one!)), Head Of State (2003) which marked Rock's directorial debut, and this year's I Think I Love My Wife again directed by Rock.
I have not seen "Down To Earth". It is a remake of Warren Beatty's 1978 classic Heaven Can Wait (which itself is a remake of Here Comes Mr. Jordan (1941)). I also have not seen "Head of State", although I had interest at the time of its theatrical release and because of my interest in Rock's political humor. It got medium reviews during its release and I think that put me off seeing it initially.
I was on the road during the release of this year's "I Think I Love My Wife", but what struck me the most about this film was that Rock was remaking Rohmer's Chloe In The Afternoon!!! Chris Rock was going to remake a Nouvelle Vague film? Huh!?!? Suffice to say, I did not have the chance to see it.
Where this all leads me is to two fascination interviews with Rock I heard this year via the wonders of the podcast. The first was with Elvis Mitchell on KCRW's The Treatment, the second with Jeff Goldsmith of Creative Screenwriting magazine on their podcast. Both are available easier through ITunes if you swing that way.
What is fascinating about these interviews is how difficult it is for Rock to anything with his voice in comedy-film world. For instance, the studio wanted one his scripts "more black", so they hired a team of Jewish writers to punch it up. The studios initially told Rock that "CB4" was "too smart". His manager did not want Rock remaking "Chloe In The Afternoon", so Rock says he fired him! Rock sounds like he has had all sorts of studio interference in the making of his films, and perhaps that's why his film projects seemed to look like a neutered version of his standup act.
But these interviews got me on Rock's side. Rock is a very smart man as he illustrates in his interviews (the screenwriting one he is interviewed with his co-writer Louis CK) and I have decided to give his film material a new benefit of the doubt. I recently picked up "Down To Earth" and "Head Of State" on sale, and plan on getting "I Think I Love My Wife" soon. I plan to watch these films, not looking for hidden masterpieces, but looking for elements of Rock's style of humor; if that's translated to his films and how it has or has not.
This may sound like a thank/point-less task, but the man has created some of most focused and funny standup in the last ten years. These interviews showcase an amazing writer who can use his voice freely and without censor in one medium (standup), but is limited within another (film). These interviews really make me root for Chris Rock.
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