Chris Rock is getting ready to go hard on the press circuit for his upcoming comedy "Top Five," and his first major interview is over at Vulture. The extensive piece has been making the rounds for the comedian’s observations about politics, race relations and more, but he does actually talk about movies as well, and one of the most intriguing insights we get is his argument that drama is actually easier to make than comedy. And he’s not equivocating.
"It’s not may. It is easier," he says, before using one of the fall’s most acclaimed films as an example. "It just is. Hey, man, I loved ‘Gone Girl.’ Loved it. But you could probably get other directors — I’m not saying they’d make it as good as Fincher, but you could get it from beginning to end and get a reaction out of it, where you can’t really do that with comedy."
And it’s an interesting statement from Rock who thus far in his career behind the camera has stuck with comedies, with 2003’s "Head Of State," the 2007 Eric Rohmer remake "I Think I Love My Wife," and now "Top Five." But while he might be underestimating the craft it takes to shoot and edit and put together a scene for maximum dramatic impact, his example does give one pause.
"Let’s put it this way. Take ‘Anchorman.’ Now switch the directors of ‘Anchorman’ and ‘Gone Girl’ and give them their movies to do. Adam McKay’s going to get closer to ‘Gone Girl’ than Fincher is going to get to ‘Anchorman,’ " Rock says. "It’s not even close."
Thoughts? Does making a comedy take an extra directorial touch? Is the genre underrated? You know where to go to let us know.