Dave Chappelle's Block Party
Director: Michel Gondry
Year Released: 2006
Rating: 2.0
I imagine there can be three reactions to this: (1.) dislike, if one has an aversion to artists like Talib Kweli, Common or The Roots, (2.) admiration, if that is your kind of music and enjoy watching concert films/jam sessions or (3.) neutrality, where I like the music, but own the CDs, enjoyed the whole casual air of it for the duration but walked away indifferent, like I downloaded samples of all the songs on my computer and listened to them in a row. So let me repeat that: I don't dislike this movie, and what I saw on the screen was spirited, but any attempt by Gondry or his crew to turn it into anything more than it is - an impromptu concert - comes across as forced (it has a semi-angry son of a Black Panther ranting, but then there's also Wyclef Jean, telling college kids not to 'blame the white man'). The camerawork doesn't help much, either, as if Gondry told his people to make it look as rushed and blurry as possible.
