Party Monster

On the surface, Dave Chappelle's Block Party has a rather simple premise, as simple as, say, Pee Wee's Big Adventure. Dave Chappelle wants to host a block party in Brooklyn and invites his friends to attend.

It turns out to be much more than that. It's a film about Chappelle reaching out to his youth, a guy who found success as a comedian, wanting to both to have fun, but also to go back to the town he grew up and ask people around if they want to go to his party.

As he goes around soliticing people to come to his party, it brings up the differences between the have and have-nots. Chappelle hob-nobs with musicians like Mos Def, Dead Prez, Erykah Badu, the Fugees, and so forth. Even if those names don't sound familiar to you, they are at least well-known among those who like this kind of music.

Chappelle asks black, white, young, old, hippie to come and join him at the block party. As the film moves along, it covers two to three timelines. There is a timeline heading forward from a few days before the block party to scenes from the block party, intercutting between the two. At times, Gondry intercuts between the live scenes and the practice that leads up to the scene.

For example, he shows Chappelle trying to do his best James Brown, asking his band to "hit him" at which point they blurt out a tune. Their first attempt is weak, but it follows up strong, and eventually he works out a mini-routine where he says it would be great to be able to say "hit it" at key situations, like trying to get a raise.

Chappelle convinces a college band to come to the block party. He asks some hippies if they'd come to the party (actually, their building is right beside where the aprty is held--he says the building could serve as a crackhouse). He goes to a clothing shop to try out pimp suits. There is a kind of absurdity to many of the things that happen, and it can be very funny in odd spots.

The film also serves as political commentary. Not surprisingly, the stance is anti-Bush and anti-war. There's a scene of a child of a black panther that is now an adult, and getting the crowd to join in a fight the fight scene.

Although you don't have to like rap to like the music, it helps not to be offended by it. At the very least, you can begin to enjoy the fun that everyone is having.

It's hard to say why the film works. Certainly, it's joie de vivre is key, but I think it's also about remembering one's roots, showing that famous folks are people too, showing that even a block party has to be planned, from what is said on stage to food and housing people, to the history of minority struggle, to bands that have themselves broken up, or to conspiracy theories about Biggie Smalls or Tupac. Michel Gondry, who directed Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind cleverly edits the entire affair, intercutting in time, overlaying music from another setting on top of what we're watching. Just seeing how the editing is done is a marvel itself.

I should say this film seemed handheld, but it didn't affect me nearly as much. Chewing gum and sitting at the far back helped a lot. I also recommend watching films at the Hoff at the University of Maryland, since it's real cheap (three dollars a ticket, and drinks and popcorn that aren't crazy priced).