Lights, Camera, Biggie: First-time actor
Jamal Woolard (left) as Christopher "Biggie Smalls" Wallace aka The Notorious
B.I.G., and Derek Luke as Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs, in "Notorious", directed by
George Tillman Jr. The film opened across North America today.
(Photo: Phil Caruso/Fox Searchlight Pictures)
THE POPCORN REEL FILM REVIEW/"Notorious"
For This Notorious Big Poppa, A Big Ups From George Tillman Jr.
By
Omar P.L. Moore/January
16, 2009
George Tillman Jr. gets it right with "Notorious" (not the remake of Alfred
Hitchcock's 1946 thriller with Cary Grant), but the biopic story of Christopher
"Biggie Smalls" Wallace, aka The Notorious B.I.G., the Brooklyn-born rap star
icon who didn't make it past his 24th birthday after being killed in 1997.
Mr. Tillman directs first-time actor Jamal Woolard, outstanding in the title
role. Mr. Woolard, also from Brooklyn, was selected from hundreds of
thousands in an open casting call across the country. As Big Poppa Mr.
Woolard brings a charisma, warmth and teddy-bear smoothness to the role, and as
he is on screen for a large majority of the film his performance, up against the
great Angela Bassett (who excels playing Biggie' mother), rises and is
impressive to say the least. Mr. Woolard isn't afraid to display the more
imperious side of Mr. Wallace's persona.
Mr. Tillman, who has directed such films as "Soul Food" and "Men Of Honor",
gives "Notorious" a texture compatible with the heartbeats of the Brooklyn
streets and the adoring fans who loved Mr. Wallace. The film is a visually
seductive anthem to the streets of Brooklyn and to the love the people of that
city and many, many others had for the oversized rapper. The director
manages to convey a portrait of the young man from childhood (early on played by
Mr. Wallace's real life surviving son) through his untimely and tragic death,
exposing warts and all. Mr. Tillman wisely avoids romanticizing the drugs
that Mr. Wallace sold and the violence that he rapped about on his records.
And he doesn't use an escape route and make Mr. Wallace a martyr, either.
There's plenty of gold and other assorted "bling" to go around, but "Notorious"
only observes, rather than plunges us deep into it. We are treated to the
tender side of Mr. Wallace, the philandering playboy who can't get enough of the
ladies, and the irresponsible father who doesn't visit the children he leaves in
his wake. "Notorious" illustrates that this famous man-child was still
growing into his own life and finding a way to understand it before the sad,
shocking and sudden fall comes.
Cinematographically much of "Notorious" resembles "Juice", with its gritty urban
and hard edged look. There's even a reference to that film, also set in
Brooklyn, which starred Tupac Shakur, the rapper who was also killed before he
hit his thirties back in 1996. Mr. Shakur is played in "Notorious" with
zeal and enthusiasm by Anthony Mackie ("She Hate Me", "Million Dollar Baby",
"Eagle Eye"), whose amiable demeanor
turns near paranoid when an attempt on Mr. Shakur's life is made. Mr.
Tillman builds the relationship between Mr. Wallace and Mr. Shakur, who in real
life were friends, introducing dramatic hooks to eventually place them on
opposite poles, east coast-west coast, much like the way the mainstream media
these days speaks of America as red states and blue states. (The sadness
of the artifice of this division is that both men were actually born and raised
on the east coast.) Mr. Tillman doesn't take sides on the issue of who was
responsible for the murders of either of these very young men, who at some
moments were misunderstood by those outside their fandom; he merely plays the
events as they lay, unlike Nick Broomfield, whose documentary "Biggie And Tupac"
makes strong and somewhat controversial accusations. Mr. Tillman also
illustrates the American media's role in fomenting the false divisions between
both of these larger-than-life figures, weaving actual news footage into his
film, bringing to it a documentary element. This risky move threatens to
halt the pulsating energy the film possesses, but amazingly in the end it all
comes together, making "Notorious" even more resonant and moving. Mr.
Tillman captures the freshness and recent nostalgia of the late 1980's and
mid-1990's hip-hop world with color, brightness and affection.
"Notorious" never gets as deeply personal as, say, Lauren Lazin's excellent
documentary on Biggie's friend, "Tupac: Resurrection", after all, it is a
feature film. But Mr. Tillman's film is deeply affecting and you feel this
as you watch the enticing end credits, which you shouldn't leave in the middle
of.
The other elements of "Notorious" track the development of the longtime
brother-like partnership of Mr. Wallace and Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs, the
impresario and now multi-millionaire producer and businessman. Mr. Combs (aka
"Diddy"), who in real life also acts and runs marathons when he's not busy
turning up at star-studded events, making records or running his Bad Boy
Records or Sean John clothing empires, is portrayed with confidence, assurance
and cool by Derek Luke, who while not looking like Mr. Combs, renders his
essence. It is difficult to play someone real who is still very much alive
and well but Mr. Luke handles it almost effortlessly, even if some in the
audience will laugh heartily when they first see him. "Notorious", which
also views the relationships the title character has with the many women in his
life, flows well. The song "Big Poppa" and other songs sung by the
real-life Mr. Wallace are heard in the film and the portrayals of music artists
Faith Hill (by Antonique Smith) and Lil' Kim (Naturi Naughton) are right on
target. Like their male counterparts, each woman too is on polar opposites
in "Notorious": one is the angelic, maternal figure, the other is the raunchy,
come-get-it persona that Millie Jackson would have admired in her heyday.
It cannot be emphasized enough: you want to see more of Angela Bassett in
"Notorious", for she is so good here. Rarely has Ms. Bassett played a
false note in her illustrious career on the big screen, championing the causes
of resolute women on her resume, whether it be the vulnerable but strong-willed
chauffeur in the film "Strange Days", or the courageous and resolute Dr. Betty
Shabazz in "Malcolm X" or as the resilient Tina Turner in "What's Love Got To Do
With It". There's a level of depth, integrity and earnestness to her work
that is also seen in the work of actors like Denzel Washington, Ed Harris,
Morgan Freeman, Terrence Howard, Gary Oldman, Alfre Woodard, Meryl Streep
(especially her earlier work) and Cate Blanchett. The fact that the
greatly under-appreciated Ms. Bassett essentially has a cameo role in
"Notorious" leaves you wanting more from her, but this film is all Mr. Woolard's
for the taking. And he takes it.
"Thanks for making big men sexy again," says one big man fan to the onscreen Mr.
Wallace at a record signing event. You want to thank Mr. Tillman for
making a film that resists the exalting and self-aggrandizing that many biopics
all too often blare, despite hearing that ugly, dreaded "n-word" which is
repeatedly uttered here (and sadly, all too often in real-life) much more than
the standard curse-words you might expect to hear in an R-rated film.
"Notorious" is rated R by the Motion Picture Association of America for
pervasive language, some strong sexuality including dialogue, nudity, and for
drug content. The film's running time is one hour and 40 minutes, though
it feels longer, thanks to its impact.
Copyright The Popcorn Reel. PopcornReel.com. 2009. All Rights
Reserved.
Related: The Popcorn Reel Hot! Minute YouTube Review of "Notorious"