Head of State
Review by Clint Morris
 While
the actuality of Chris Rock of President of the United States
is something we will mercifully never have to envisage, we
can surely swallow it for the sake of a movie.
Can't we?
Falling somewhere between the capable Eddie Murphy and on
the other end, Martin Lawrence, Chris Rock's the kind of actor
one can typically take or leave.
Like a friend that becomes exasperating after a prolonged
visit, he's okay in small doses, but once you've spent a while
with them you begin to wear very thin of them.
Much can also be said for the Chris Rock movie - okay in
doses, but you might be flat out getting through all of it
in the one sitting - if ever. But this time, he's also behind
the camera, as well as in front of it [Roll the drums...].
In Head of State, Rock plays the unintelligible D.C.
Alderman named Mays Gilliam. After the death of the party's
choices, Senator Bill Arnot (James Rebhorn) decides to draft
the unlikely Gilliam into the race.
But of course, there's a reason he's doing so: Arnot's underhanded
plan is to have his man lose to a shoo-in from the opposite
party so that Arnot could easily run for the job in 2008.
But typical of these types of movies, Arnot's plan backfires,
as Gilliam is elected President and turns out to be the people's
most favourite yet.
While it's nice to see Rock doing something a "little"
different, his latest venture is hardly the film to raise
his stature. Ok, so - as director - he shows that he can direct
a few other actors too, as well as himself, but he's forgotten
some other ingredients along the way.
Like laughs first, and then a narrative.
If Rock had really wanted to he could have added in some
of his trademark smut humour or ruffled up a few more feathers
here, and then, maybe, just maybe, his film would more resemble
something other than a half-cocked rip-off of Dave
or King Ralph.
2 out of 5
Head of State
Australian release: Thursday October 9th
Cast: Chris Rock, Bernie Mac, Dylan Baker, Robin Givens, Tracy
Morgan, James Rebhorn.
Director: Chris Rock.
Website: Click
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