Dave Chappelle's Block Party

Block Party

reviewed by Sam Osborn of www.samseescinema.com

rating: 3.5 out of 4

For a comeback, Dave Chappelle's got it right with Block Party. It isn't a concert film, but features a hefty amount of highlight performances. It also isn't a stand-up comedy, but Chappelle certainly spouts some smile-turning kickers. And Block Party isn't a documentary, but we're left with a sense of culture from the footage of interviews throughout. In truth, Block Party really isn't much of anything, but it's enough to mount dizzying entertainment with the flick of Michel Gondry's hand-held DV camera.

It surrounds the conception, pre-production, production, and post-production of Dave Chappelle's 2005 Brooklyn Block Party. The word "production" is used loosely here, not to connote images of agents frantically finding the rights to singers and their songs and the construction of the set and all the hoo-hah that goes into a major concert. No. By Pre-Production, I mean Dave Chappelle traveling back to hometown Dayton, Ohio to hand out the golden tickets to his fellow citizens. By Production, I mean watching some excellent musical performances on the corner of Downing and Quincy, in front of the Broken Angel warehouse, to the sound of 5,000 screaming fans. And by Post-Production, I mean watching Chappelle and his fellow performers speculate about the show afterwards.

But for all the linearity described here, Block Party doesn't have mind for structure. The film doesn't roll chronologically; instead, Block Party jumps around itself, sometimes going to Ohio, then back to rehearsal, jumping forward to a highlight performance, and then back to Brooklyn at a children's day care where the kids bounce frantically around Chappelle. Gondry worries less about documenting the actual party, opting instead to find an accessible method for the audience's entertainment. If the film was said to be trying hard at any one thing, it would be that Block Party really tries to keep from bogging itself down.

Chappelle himself does well to not hog the screen. In fact, if there was any one complaint, it would be that we don't see Chappelle enough. This is not "Chappelle's Show", after all. There are no skits, and only a few planned scenes of comedy. Mostly, we follow Chappelle around with a couple DV cameras and a boom mic as he explores Dayton and Brooklyn, speaking to their inhabitants and hearing their stories. But this isn't to say that Chappelle avoids humor. We all know Dave Chappelle's a funny man when he's not even trying. Believe me, there are many laughs to be had. The style digs down to why we loved Dave Chappelle in the first place. Seeing him walk around his hometown in a state of relative normalcy—without spotlights or producers and writers—offers Block Party a homegrown attitude. The music reflects this, showcasing artists that inhabit the quality of music, instead of the financial returns that go along with it.

And the music's great, too. Gondry does well not to overdose on it, aware that that the beats may grow tiresome for the anti-rap audience. He only showcases one or two songs at a time, jumping back to another Chappelle experience in between. But whether or not you're a regular fan of rap (I'm not), Block Party's music is sure to rouse some sort of reaction. The attitude and community behind the music is what makes it great. The fans and the artists and Chappelle forged a culture at this party, and this culture is infectious. At the theatre, much of the audience started dancing and moving to the music in their seats, some even raising their arms at the musicians' demand. And at it's heart, it's just about everyone—the fans, the artists, the theatre audience, and Chappelle—just having a good time.

-www.samseescinema.com

Seeing this picture after a Hard night of partying, I had few expectations. But the laughs I had at the beginning of the movie set the tone for the rest of the picture. I just recently became a Chappelle fan, having only heard his comedy on Satellite radio. But I thought this movie was a nice blend of street and situational comedy, and I couldn't take my eyes off the circa. 1972 afro that Quest was sporting. It was poetry in motion.

I was not very knowledgeable about a few of the groups in the movie but I thought the concert scenes were great, and was in awe of the sheer musical ability of the featured groups; so much so, that I stopped and picked up a Jill Scott CD for my ride home.

You will laugh at the comedy scenes but this movie is not really about making you laugh. It seems to be a cross-cultural primer using comedy, music and just general conversation, to give all of us a small look into each other's world.

This movie is One of a kind, it created a magic that most films will never achieve. It is filled with some incredible performances and the first appearance of the Fugees in almost ten years. If Lauren Hill's performance doesn't move you then you must be a robot because that women is a goddess. I think Block Party will be looked back upon and be remembered as one of the greatest moments for music in the new millennium. This will go down in the books as one of the greatest Music documentary's of all time right alongside Woodstock. It is also fun to watch Dave continue his racial commentary on today's society. I loved Block Party and will recommend this movie to everyone I know.

this movie was outrageously funny due to the brilliant comic Dave Chappelle. This movie also features great music and entertainment. But if you think this movie is full of Dave Chappelles wild skits like on the Chappelle Show, ill let you know right now its not. Its a documentary about him putting this Block Party together. While it does have his amazing comic brilliance in it, it is MOSTLY filled with great music. Still I loved this movie for all its aspects, the Music, the jokes, the stories, and the entertainment. With Musical talent including Mos Deff, Kanye West, The Roots, Dead Prez, the Commons, a reunion of The Fugees, and much much more, this is a must see. So many of the movies that are put into theaters are not worth your 8-10 dollars, this one is. BUT go see it knowing that its not the Chappelle Show.

...However as a rap-concert movie, it's one of the better ones I've seen in quite a while. It works for a few reasons, though for some it may not work as well as for others. Basically, if you're coming into this expecting Chappelle doing more of his stand-up &/or sketches, you'll wonder how you could've been misled (not that his moments on screen don't elicit enough laughs for satisfaction, at least for a Chappelle admirer like myself)- in fact many white audience members going into the film walked out of screenings. If this is due to the film-making style or something wrong on the end of director Michel Gondry, or just not caring for the rap and hip-hop, is up for debate. But considering the kind of mix of better-than-usual rap music, solid cinema verier style camera-work by Gondry and his small crew, and the fine bits of interview footage, it's actually not a bad film if you go into it knowing what you'll get. For some it may be one of the film events of the season &/or year.

One reason it worked is that- and this is of course a subjective part of seeing Block Party- the musical acts are better than most of the rap and hip-hop currently heard on radio and seen on the music channels. Led by an actual band playing music as opposed to all beat machines, the groups (of which are Chappelle's own favorites, and some of which already appeared on the hit or miss musical segments of his show) bring out solid beats, and the rappers or singers are not off-putting or ridiculous. The highlights for me were with Kanye West (with a cool, powerful mix of himself and a school band for 'Jesus Walks'), The Roots, and the Fugee's 'Killing Me Softly'. There are also some cool, loose moments with Chappelle and some people backstage where he jams and riffs and jokes (funny jokes too, albeit for the musician's expense more than for the audience). For someone like myself losing interest in more of the ultra-violent, idiotic and over-indulgent rap music of the day, it was not unpleasant at all to get dropped back into it with acts that were fresh and interesting (not that there aren't some mis-steps, Dead Prez and Common not being some of the highlights for me).

The other thing that made the film work though is Gondry's natural eye with his lens, as he just stands by getting down the attitudes, the emotions and little bits of life in the midst of this huge spectacle. There isn't anything outstanding in his style like with the Maysles brothers or DA Pennebaker in terms of capturing the music in action, and sometimes his focus strays to people on camera who take up a little too much time. But for the most part (with some exceptions of little moments that just don't work) his attention to the rhythm of a film, and the rhythm of film led by music- he is one of the most artistically dominant forces in music videos of the past ten or so years- is focused just right. This style also compliments Chappelle, who has a laid back kind of way of talking to people, but with a sense of humor that cuts the chase. Some of the best parts though of his moments on screen aren't expected, improvised, like the James Brown bit on stage, or his obscure ability to play two specific jazz songs on piano, or even his more juvenile jokes in jamming.

In short, it's a side of Chappelle you might not usually see at times, or with Gondry, and it all gels together for the sake of the audience that showed up for the show. Nothing too pretentious, and entertaining enough to keep those interested in their seats.