Movie Review: "Notorious"... Surprisingly Good.

"Ms. Wallace conceived Biggie with a married man. One of many interesting facts that came out in the film."

By Monica Peters

I must admit that I had concerns about being potentially disappointed with the film “Notorious” starring Angela Bassett, Jamal Woolard, Derek Luke, Naturi Naughton, Antonique Smith and Anthony Mackie. However, the film does not disappoint. The entire cast brought home the spirit of the real life characters. To my surprise, the film also had depth.

Hollywood newcomer, Jamal Woolard hits the mark playing Notorious BIG, aka Biggie on screen. He is very natural and more importantly believable in this role. He is one to watch in Hollywood. Biggie’s relationship with his mother, Voletta Wallace played by Angela Basset provides much depth to the film as it portrays his life from early childhood to his tragic murder eleven years ago in Los Angeles. Many may not know that Ms. Wallace conceived Biggie with a married man. One of many interesting facts that came out in the film. The “mash potato” scene is a turning point in Biggie’s life where Ms. Wallace throws away what she thinks is mash potatoes from under his bed. Biggie raids the kitchen trash can to recover “the potatoes.” Ms. Wallace then realizes that her son is in an illegal profession and throws him out onto the streets.

Naturi Naughton, who plays Lil’ Kim, provided much spice in the highly anticipated film. Naughton does an excellent job in showing the vulnerable and insecure side of rapper Lil’ Kim. Initially she and Biggie had a great relationship where he pursued her romantically in their early days in Bed Stuy. He was her lover, protector and had a solid devotion to her as an artist when he discovered that she also had talent that could make her a superstar. Things soon began to get rocky when he married singer Faith Evans out the clear blue. He still kept his commitment to Lil’ Kim as his artist and continued their affair. Naughton’s racy role keeps the moviegoer intrigued with her and Biggie’s volatile off/on relationship. I was actually surprised that the film gave Lil’ Kim’s character depth given the rocky history between the raunchy female rapper and the slain rapper’s mother in real life. The recording studio scene where Lil’ Kim and Biggie have an explosive argument after his surprise nuptials to Evans, played by Antonique Smith, is classic. It is in this scene where you begin to remember that Lil Kim in real life often talked about Biggie’s physical abuse towards her. The dialogue in this scene is also classic. Let’s just say Biggie puts Lil’ Kim in her place about where she stands with him.

Actress Antonique Smith has a striking resemblance to singer Faith Evans. She brings home the prize so to speak portraying Evans on screen. Her character finds out soon enough that marrying a man after only 3 weeks of dating is not a good idea--especially since Biggie never stopped his cheating ways (the singer claims in her new book that she and Biggie courted for a few months, but the film’s depiction disputes that). She does have a physical confrontation with a random groupie who she finds in bed with Biggie. However, the only thing that was grossly missing in this film is that it does not depict her rocky relationship with Lil’Kim and does not address how she felt when she found out in real life that Biggie was having an affair with Kim. *Faith Evans and Lil’ Kim had a much publicized physical confrontation in real life.

Derek Luke to my surprise did a good job in making his portrayal of music mogul Diddy believable. His on stage persona of Diddy in the film does provide for some comedic moments though, especially the dancing. Anyone who came to the advance screening as a “Doubting Thomas” if Luke could capture the larger than life personality of Diddy were soon converted to believers.

As far as Anthony Mackie’s portrayal as Biggie’s rival, slain rapper Tupac Shakur; let’s just say he tried his best. That’s not a diss, but Shakur’s complex persona would be hard for any actor to personify.

Towards the end of the film as the rapper receives constant death threats due to his ongoing feud with Shakur, he begins to put his life in perspective. He tries to mend the fences with Faith (also the mother of his son Christopher Wallace Jr), Lil’ Kim and Jan, the mother of his first child from his teenage years by becoming a better father and more involved in their lives. But by then it’s too late.

A touching point of the film that will bring tears to your eyes: Biggie’s son, Christopher Wallace Jr., plays the role of his father in his childhood years in the film. You don’t find this out until the end of the film. It doesn’t get any better than that.