If you were expecting a biopic that cleans up the hero to honor the dead, you will be sorely disappointed by Notorious; in fact I was shocked because I knew that his friends and family were producing the film, so I expected some things to be glossed over. Notorious B.I.G. was definitely a monster in the Rap world, but he also had a slew of character flaws and I was glad the movie was allowed to go through them all including his sleeping through hip-hops starlets and his early years as a drug dealer. This movie gives you your moneys worth since very few biopics can cover the range of drama you get to see in this film, which covers the rise and fall of a several hip-hop personas, the formation of the East Coast/West Coast rap feud, and several of Biggie’s failed relationships.
The best part of the film is watching the portrayals of all the hip-hop stars that were integral to the film. Jamal Woolard fills Biggie’s shoes with ease and I hope that Hollywood finds some good roles for him in the future after this debut role. And in a bit of fate Biggie’s son C.J. actually plays his father as a child in the beginning of the film. Puff Daddy was played well by Derek Luke and before you ask I promise you he can pull off the awkward dancing we all remember. We also get to see Faith Evans, Lil’ Kim, TuPac, Suge Knight, Lil’ Cease, and Biggie’s mom Violetta Wallace played by the ever powerful Angela Bassett. We seldom get to see movies that portray current celebrities and this was almost as jarring as watching W. while Bush was still in office.
The features cover both the real elements of B.I.G’s life and the behind the scenes of the filmmaking process. We even get two commentaries, one with the director and his writing/editing crew, and the other with his real mother and two of his manager-friends. The best feature was the “Biggie Boot Camp” where Jamal had to learn all the mannerisms that signified Biggie Smalls. The “Making of Notorious” featurette was also excellent and detailed; I only wish they had been able to get some feedback from Lil’ Kim, Puff Daddy, and Faith Evans to go with the original Junior Mafia members and his close friends and family.
Special Features
Commentary with Director George Tillman, Jr., Co-Screenwriter Reggie Rock Bythewood, Co-Screenwriter Cheo Hodari Coker and Editor Dirk Westervelt
Commentary with Producer/Biggie’s Mom Voletta Wallace, Producer/Biggie’s Co-Manager Wayne Barrow and Producer/Biggie’s Co-Manager Mark Pitts
Behind the Scenes: “Making of Notorious” Featurette
I Got a Story to Tell: The Lyrics of Biggie Smalls
NOTORIOUS Thugs: Casting the Film
Biggie Boot Camp
Anatomy of a B.I.G. Performance
Party & Bulls**t (never-before-seen footage of the real B.I.G.)
The B.I.G. Three-Sixty
Deleted Scenes
Digital Copy