Dave Chappelle' Block Party is an instant classic, a cultural happening and that very rare film that is hilarious, earnest and urgently relevant. It is the story of a September, 2004, concert that featured Chappelle and hip-hop acts like Mos Def, Talib Kwali and the freshly reunited Fugees in hip-hop' Eden, Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. Even if you don't enjoy the heady musical performances that director Michael Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) expertly documents, the film is worth seeing for the opportunity to watch a relaxed Dave Chappelle in his element before the implosion of his mega-hit series, Chappelle' Show.

Largely inspired by the 1973 concert film Wattstax, Block Party opens with Chappelle helping two old men in downtown Dayton, Ohio repair their stalled car on the side of the road. Seeing Chappelle riff with two old men is a reminder of the opening of his now-defunct series and is not the last time that the film recalls the show that made Chappelle a superstar. But there is something wholly different, raw and improvisational about Block Party that propels it through its 120 minutes with a feeling that anything can, and will, happen.

For instance, as Chappelle watches the two old men try to fix their car, a marching band slowly rolls into frame behind him. At first, the band is just a funny obstacle to the old men' ability to hear one another, but Gondry then uses the band as the musical backdrop for the film's introduction, with Chappelle introducing performers through a megaphone. Chappelle goes on to chase after the Step Marching Band and invite them along to Brooklyn, where they perform a kick-ass version of "Jesus Walks" for Kanye West. The evolution of the band' role from comedic prop, to background music, to characters within the story is a great example of the freewheeling way that the film unfolds.