Chris Rock's writing style is spot on. His deliveries of jokes as if they were part of everyday conversation is impeccable. Unfortunately the film tends to fall flat in some areas, suffers from a predictable story arc, and drags in a couple of places, otherwise this might've been a truly standout milestone in Rock's career. The story feels semi-autobiographical, at least in the way it describes his feelings about the industry, but it tries a bit too hard to tie everything up with a pretty bow and goes for the romantic comedy conclusion rather than a more existential one. Regardless of its shortcomings, it's filled with laughs, both clever and low-brow, and is a lot of fun, even when it's down-right depressing.

3.0 Stars (out of 5)