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Chris Rock is on the road to the White House.
Grade: C+
Verdict: Doesn't rock like Rock rocks on TV and in stand-up.
By ELEANOR RINGEL GILLESPIE
(none)
Maybe Chris Rock should take a long, hard look at Richard Pryor's movie career. Demonically funny and laceratingly observant in his stand-up act and his concert films, Pryor started out doing interesting movies like "Lady Sings the Blues" and "The Bingo Long All-Stars & Traveling Motor Kings." But when he and Gene Wilder hit box office gold in "Silver Streak," they were re-teamed in increasingly witless white-bread movies. Stuff like "Stir Crazy," in which they both dressed up in chicken suits.
With his new film, "Head of State," Rock -- whose edgy comedy is often compared to Pryor's -- is circling "Stir Crazy" territory himself. Worse, he co-wrote and directed it.
Rock plays Mays Gilliam, a nice-guy alderman for a run-down Washington, D.C., neighborhood. When both his party's candidates (read, Democratic) are killed in a plane crash, a political insider (James Rebhorn) with his eye on the 2008 election picks Mays as the new presidential hopeful. Choosing Mays makes it look as if his party gave a rat's butt about minorities, but more importantly, it gives him a clear path to the nomination next time.
Along with some prepared "off-the-cuff" remarks and a good suit, Mays is handed a campaign staff: a manager (Dylan Baker), who doesn't know what to make of Mays; an adviser (Lynn Whitfield), who hates to see Mays thrown to the Washington wolves; a security guard, whose main job is to keep Mays' ambitious ex-girlfriend (Robin Givens) at bay; and a lovely blonde whose job description is vague but who's available 24/7 to head off any sex scandals during the campaign. Mays also hooks up with beautiful Tamala Jones (wasted in a one-note romantic-interest role).
It's the ol' fish-out-of-water scenario, but thanks to Rock's writing, the picture still offers some hilarious moments. When Mays is offered the job, the first thing to flash through his head is being assassinated; that's what being president means to him. Later on, Mays quits being a party puppet and starts speaking for himself (surprise!). His numbers go up in the polls, and his opponent (Nick Searcy), a guy whose slogan is "God bless America and no one else," whips up a new series of ads including one that goes, "Vote Lewis. He's your last chance." Plus, the movie features Bernie Mac, who, as Mays' brother/running mate, is a sight gag all by himself in his technicolor suits and fancy hats.
Early on, the film has some of the sweet and savvy foolishness of an early Steve Martin comedy, but overall it's sadly unsubtle and formulaic. Rock is too smart to make this kind of so-so dumb movie. Yes, it's only a silly comedy, but with Rock, you can't help but expect the silliness to be laced with arsenic.
