Comedy: Chris Rock

Everyone is talking (well, Defamer is) about Chris Rock's appearance on "Letterman" last night, and how he turned a question about Richard Jeni into a plug for his movie. Okay, he was trying to be funny, but it fell flat. It might have been funnier to say Jeni was despondent about losing roles to Kevin Pollak. (Too soon?)

Rock's new movie is an unlikely remake of "Love In The Afternoon" by the French director Eric Rohmer. Rohmer's films are gentle, slow-moving, talky, warm explorations of human beings and their wonderful frailties. From the clip they showed last night, the remake is nothing like that.

Maybe Rohmer should get back at Rock by remaking "Head Of State" in his trademark style. A bourgeois businessman is offered the chance to run for Mayor of his provincial town. He discusses it at great length with his wife. There's an attractive campaign worker who flirts with him. He talks to his wife some more. Eventually, he decides not to run for office. ("Pootie Tang" would have been funnier, but Chris Rock didn't write & direct that.)