FILMBRATS - REVIEWS

Dave Chappelle’s throwing a party and you’re all invited. Popular comedian Chappelle has gathered some of the greatest contemporary names in hip-hop and R&B to perform in an event of a lifetime. On a stage in Brooklyn New York, a large crowd flocked in for free from miles around to see acts like Kanye West, Common, The Roots, Erykah Badu, Mos Def, Dead Prez and more. But it’s not all music, because Dave himself comes out in between acts and keeps the crowd entertained with his unique style of riotous comedy.

You wouldn’t know it from watching, but Michel Gondry (“Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind”) is directing. You’ll find absolutely none of his patented filmmaking flair. There are no camera tricks to speak of, no digital manipulations of time and space, no crazy edits, nothing particularly visually stunning at all. And to be honest, I like it better that way. Instead of turning the concert into one a long form version of his awe-inspiring music videos, he simply makes sure the camera is pointed in the right direction to capture exactly what we want to see and some things we didn’t know we wanted to see.

So, what we end up getting is a pretty standard documentary. And because the visuals are nothing spectacular, even by doc standards, more attention is drawn to the sub-par editing. The problem isn’t necessarily the individual cuts themselves, but rather in the sequencing. The movie doesn’t flow very well from one segment to the next. I understand why they cut between the already in progress concert and Dave trying to recruit people in Ohio to join him in New York, but I think it hurt the rhythm and the anticipation.

Most people will know if they want to see this movie simply from the “says it all” title. If you don’t like rap or R&B, then you’ll be bored at least half the time. The performances aren’t anything all too great; although I’m sure they were better in person. If you’re not a fan of Chappelle’s comedy, well this certainly isn’t going to turn you around. If you are, however, the movie might give you a deeper appreciation for his improvisational skills. The movie wouldn’t have been nearly as good without him. Now, if you know you like one of the two, or most likely both of the key ingredients to the picture, then you owe it to yourself to watch this movie. You’ll find it’s going to turn out to be one of the funniest movies to come out this year. Mix that with some musical interludes by some of today’s most critically acclaimed musical acts on the scene and you won’t find too many movies that will be so entertaining.

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