DAVE CHAPPELLES’ BLOCK PARTY
At this point Dave Chappelle is a cultural icon. You’d have to be living under a rock to have not heard the phrase “I’m Rick James, bitch.” Part of what makes Block Party so entertaining is that you really just get to see Dave seemingly being himself, which is, of course, hilarious.
Don’t let Chappelle’s name in the credits confuse you, this isn’t really a comedy film. This is the story of a musical concert. Dave is the ring master and emcee, but this movie is about putting on a show with great music. This isn’t just any group of musicians, this is a collection of artists that make music the same way that Chappelle does comedy, in their own voice.
There are a lot of names here that most of America may not have heard of: Talib Kweli, Mos Def, Dead Presidents, The Roots. These are musicians who are virtually ignored on mainstream radio due to either their music or message. They don’t sing endlessly about partying or sex so you’re not going to hear them as a ring tone.
Gathering these artists together was part of Chappelle’s plan to put together his dream concert. And it’s one hell of a show. All the musical performances are great but the highlight is easily The Fugees and Lauryn Hill breaking into Killing Me Softly. Of course, it would have been interesting to see what it actually took to get them to reunite and perform on stage again together.
Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) blends together concert footage with backstage goofing around and clips of Chappelle in his hometown in Ohio preparing for the show. He had a limited number of tickets that he could give out to his friends and neighbors and offered them to people who wouldn’t necessarily consider going to a rap concert. He then happened upon Central State University’s marching band and offered to pay for them to travel to New York to take part in the concert. Gondry lets us see how much it means to each one of these people to have been given this free trip and how Dave touches the lives of the people in the community in which he lives.
The only real complaint that I have is a diversion that is taken to investigate a couple that lives near the concert area in Brooklyn. The building they live in is only one-third complete and visitors can only get through the house by using a system of ladders and ramps. It’s not that these two people’s lives aren’t interesting, it’s just that they seem out of place. It almost comes off as a bit exploitive. In a movie where everyone involved is having a good time, these two seem like the only ones who are not in on the fun.
After signing a check for fifty million dollars, there isn’t any better way that Dave Chappelle could have shown that he was a man of the people than by throwing a free concert. But that’s really what holds this film together. Everyone loves Dave Chappelle.
The Grade
- Story: A
- Acting: N/A
- Visuals: B
- Originality: B-
- Enjoyability: A
- Overall: B+
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