Starring Jamal Woodard, Derek Luke, Anthony Mackie, and Angela Bassett
Written by Reggie Rock Bythewood and Cheo Hodari Coker
Directed by George Tillman, Jr.
Written by Reggie Rock Bythewood and Cheo Hodari Coker
Directed by George Tillman, Jr.
It's tough for me to get behind a movie that idolizes a drug dealer. Yes, he "rose above" the drug trade and decided to rap about his difficult life, but he still is known and revered for being part of the infamous East Coast/West Coast rivalry. The sole purpose of this movie is to appeal to youth and I'm not really sure that Christopher "Biggie" Wallace is someone that they should deify.
Despite my generalized misgivings, I actually thought the film was decent. The biopic is probably my least favorite genre, and while this didn't break the mold, it wasn't boring which is my major issue with these types of films. Still, I went into this knowing not a whole lot about the life of Notorious B.I.G. and I came out (at the very least) interested in the guy, despite the fact that I will never download a song by him (or his friend-turned rival Tupac).
The film is helped by some good performances from the supporting cast. Naturi Naughton as Lil' Kim was the stand-out to me -- quite appealing, exuding sex appeal, while at the same time, holding her own against the larger-than-life "characters" onscreen. Derek Luke's Puff Daddy was a notch above his co-stars, as well, although a little spastic and jumpy (although, I simply took that as the way Puffy actually is). I also liked Angela Bassett as Biggie's mother -- Bassett is always a strong presence onscreen and it really was no different here. If anything, the performance I was most disappointed in was that of Jamal Woodard's Biggie. This was his first (and as of now, only) role, but something didn't click for me with his performance. Not that he ruined the film for me, but I just felt like he was overshadowed by some of his costars, and he should've been the one that towered over them.
The film is full of incredibly corny dialogue -- "We can't change the world unless we change ourselves" is just one example -- and this is especially evident towards the end. Try as I might, I just can't seem to shake the thought that the movie paints Biggie as this saintly figure who just wants to follow the "Why can't we all just get along" mantra which I find incredibly unbelievable. And it still boggles my mind that this guy who released one album prior to his death at age 24 (with another that was to be released mere days after his death) was such a major figure in the rap scene during the 90s.
Despite these problems, the film looked good, flowed well, and helped me "learn" about something/someone that I really knew nothing about in an enjoyable manner. And while rap is a genre of music that I'll never get and probably never like, this flick was certainly better than I ever expected it to be.
Despite my generalized misgivings, I actually thought the film was decent. The biopic is probably my least favorite genre, and while this didn't break the mold, it wasn't boring which is my major issue with these types of films. Still, I went into this knowing not a whole lot about the life of Notorious B.I.G. and I came out (at the very least) interested in the guy, despite the fact that I will never download a song by him (or his friend-turned rival Tupac).
The film is helped by some good performances from the supporting cast. Naturi Naughton as Lil' Kim was the stand-out to me -- quite appealing, exuding sex appeal, while at the same time, holding her own against the larger-than-life "characters" onscreen. Derek Luke's Puff Daddy was a notch above his co-stars, as well, although a little spastic and jumpy (although, I simply took that as the way Puffy actually is). I also liked Angela Bassett as Biggie's mother -- Bassett is always a strong presence onscreen and it really was no different here. If anything, the performance I was most disappointed in was that of Jamal Woodard's Biggie. This was his first (and as of now, only) role, but something didn't click for me with his performance. Not that he ruined the film for me, but I just felt like he was overshadowed by some of his costars, and he should've been the one that towered over them.
The film is full of incredibly corny dialogue -- "We can't change the world unless we change ourselves" is just one example -- and this is especially evident towards the end. Try as I might, I just can't seem to shake the thought that the movie paints Biggie as this saintly figure who just wants to follow the "Why can't we all just get along" mantra which I find incredibly unbelievable. And it still boggles my mind that this guy who released one album prior to his death at age 24 (with another that was to be released mere days after his death) was such a major figure in the rap scene during the 90s.
Despite these problems, the film looked good, flowed well, and helped me "learn" about something/someone that I really knew nothing about in an enjoyable manner. And while rap is a genre of music that I'll never get and probably never like, this flick was certainly better than I ever expected it to be.
The RyMickey Rating: B-
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ReplyDeleteAmanda -
ReplyDeleteI accidentally deleted your post! I actually have to hit two buttons to do that and for some reason, at 4:30 in the morning, I managed to hit those two buttons...
But, in response to your post...I agree that I can't believe Notorious is in my Top Ten at this point. It hurts me more than it hurts you to look at it.
Secondly, I knew I was gonna miss a game when I left tonight and I can't tell you how angry that made me.
All was fine...nothing major...and all is resolved as of this writing...