Rosalind Eleazar Carries Rock's 'Misty Green' at TIFF — SkimNews
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- Chris Rock's 'Misty Green' premiered as a Gala Presentation at the Toronto Film Festival, distributed by A24 and rated R with a 1 hr 44 min runtime — his first directing credit since 2014's 'Top Five'.
- Rosalind Eleazar stars as the title character, a once-Emmy-winning L.A. television actress battling addiction, family crises, and a stalled career; the reviewer calls her 'mesmerizing' and 'one of the best performances by an actress this year.'
- Rock conceived the project after observing former hit-sitcom actresses doing voice-over day work, and deliberately cast a Black woman in the lead — a departure from a genre long defined by white leads stretching back to 'Sunset Boulevard.'
- The ensemble around Eleazar includes Anna Kendrick as her best friend, Adam Driver as a sleazy filmmaker, Daniel Kaluuya as her troubled brother, Topher Grace as her agent, and Rock himself as a director from her past, with walk-ons from Anthony Anderson and Ice T.
- The review flags the film as 'a bit uneven' in execution and notes Rock occasionally slips into stand-up cadence during his acting scenes, but credits Eleazar with lifting the entire picture.
Why it matters: Rolling Stone frames Eleazar as a potential Best Actress contender, giving A24 a TIFF Gala premiere to build awards-season momentum and marking Rock's return to directing after a 12-year gap — this time centering a Black lead in a genre historically told through white faces.
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