Notorious (C or 2/4 stars)
No dream is too big for Biggie Smalls in 'Notorious' (directed by newcomer George Tillman Jr.). This film tells the story of Christopher Wallace. Through talent & determination, Wallace (or Notorious B.I.G. ... how many nicknames does this guy have!?) transforms himself from Brooklyn drug dealer to one of (if not the) best rappers of all time. The movie begins with young Chris Wallace (played by his real life son) deciding that the way to make his mark isn't to do well in school, but to become a garbage man, or sell drugs. Year later, Chris (now played by Jamal Woolard) learns that selling drugs doesn't pay when he is arrested & sent to jail. In prison, he begins to write rap lyrics. Those lyrics come in handy down the road (out of jail) when he embarks upon a career in the music industry.
One of the 1st people to believe in his talent is Sean Puffy Combs/P Diddy/Puff Daddy ... whatever (played by Derek Luke). It is he who turns Chris from a nobody into a major force in the East Coast rap scene; I didn't know there was a East/West battle. Chris (eventually Biggie Smalls) tastes fame & fortune. And before long, is involved in several affairs. One includes fellow rapper Lil Kim (Naturi Naughton). The other major one is with R&B singer Faith Evans (Antonique Smith); whom he eventually marries. The rest of the film chronicles his friendships (Tupac Shakur, played by Anthony Mackie), his highs (fame & $$), his lows (adultery), etc.. And it culminates, obviously, in his untimely death (4 gunshots to the chest in a drive by).
I suppose I must take everything I saw in this movie as truth; though it's a biased production (his mom, his friend, & Sean Combs had a hand in the 'facts'). This is a hard film to critique. I am not a fan of rap music, in general. And I am even less of a fan of the rappers who rap. That said, I 'do' know several of the songs Chris Wallace is famous for (as well as Lil Kim), and some of them ... dagnabbit, are catchy. Director Tillman does a good job sanitizing Chris for the screen because I'm sure he wasn't quite the protagonist that he's made out to be here. He does some admirable things, but we also see him dealing drugs, cheating on girlfriends, we hear him saying the F and the N word incessantly. But the film wants to show him in an angelic light. It works intermittently. I don't think this film could have been made unless Tillman made Notorious B.I.G. more palatable to a wider range of audiences.
The acting ranges from poor to great; best being Woolard himself. Naturi Naughton is electric as Lil Kim. Angela Bassett is stellar (but we want more from her) in the mom-of-the-star role. Derek Luke shows his talent as the charismatic Sean Combs. And Antonique Smith brings a bit of depth to the Faith Evans character. The biggest problem with 'Notorious' is that it falls prey to the standard biopic formula. It's extremely difficult to create a 3-dimensional look into the life of a man in less than 2 hours. Various scenes are rushed. Relationships are glossed over. 'Parts' of the film are entertaining, or engrossing, but 'most' of it failed to educate me on WHY Chris Wallace's controversial music was important, relevant, or what his contribution to rap meant.
One of the 1st people to believe in his talent is Sean Puffy Combs/P Diddy/Puff Daddy ... whatever (played by Derek Luke). It is he who turns Chris from a nobody into a major force in the East Coast rap scene; I didn't know there was a East/West battle. Chris (eventually Biggie Smalls) tastes fame & fortune. And before long, is involved in several affairs. One includes fellow rapper Lil Kim (Naturi Naughton). The other major one is with R&B singer Faith Evans (Antonique Smith); whom he eventually marries. The rest of the film chronicles his friendships (Tupac Shakur, played by Anthony Mackie), his highs (fame & $$), his lows (adultery), etc.. And it culminates, obviously, in his untimely death (4 gunshots to the chest in a drive by).
I suppose I must take everything I saw in this movie as truth; though it's a biased production (his mom, his friend, & Sean Combs had a hand in the 'facts'). This is a hard film to critique. I am not a fan of rap music, in general. And I am even less of a fan of the rappers who rap. That said, I 'do' know several of the songs Chris Wallace is famous for (as well as Lil Kim), and some of them ... dagnabbit, are catchy. Director Tillman does a good job sanitizing Chris for the screen because I'm sure he wasn't quite the protagonist that he's made out to be here. He does some admirable things, but we also see him dealing drugs, cheating on girlfriends, we hear him saying the F and the N word incessantly. But the film wants to show him in an angelic light. It works intermittently. I don't think this film could have been made unless Tillman made Notorious B.I.G. more palatable to a wider range of audiences.
The acting ranges from poor to great; best being Woolard himself. Naturi Naughton is electric as Lil Kim. Angela Bassett is stellar (but we want more from her) in the mom-of-the-star role. Derek Luke shows his talent as the charismatic Sean Combs. And Antonique Smith brings a bit of depth to the Faith Evans character. The biggest problem with 'Notorious' is that it falls prey to the standard biopic formula. It's extremely difficult to create a 3-dimensional look into the life of a man in less than 2 hours. Various scenes are rushed. Relationships are glossed over. 'Parts' of the film are entertaining, or engrossing, but 'most' of it failed to educate me on WHY Chris Wallace's controversial music was important, relevant, or what his contribution to rap meant.