Before I even begin to address this film, I got to say something about the screening itself. If I had known that it was going to be sponsored by WPGC, one of the greater facilitators to the death of hip-hop music in the DC area I probably never would have gone. The event was ignorant from jumpstreet, with some fat lousy "comedian" hypeman tryin' to rile up the audience, with his phoney attempts to sound legit and expressions of admiration for the B.I.G. Whatever, man, start the damn film. He did his job, which was to cause the already talkative audience to feel free to chat openly throughout the flick, making keen "observations" about mundane things we all already know, "Craig Mack is ugly". No shit. Or even worse, the lady behind me and her staunch defense of everything 2-Pac who stood boldly by her claim that 2-Pac was never charged with sexual abuse of any kind. Yeah, and that wasn't 2-Pac I saw grinnin' from ear to ear dancin' like Stunt Diggitydog during Digital Underground's "Same Song" video. Thug life, my arse.
Notorious has been a hot topic of discussion from the moment the trailer hit theaters. B.I.G. was a controversial figure, polarizing people from both sides of the coast to all around the world. Here on the east coast, he was generally loved and revered as one of the greatest of all-time. The west more often than not felt differently. For me, being a "student" of the hip-hop game so to speak, I never found Biggie the lyricist to be anything all that special. I used to say he sounded like he had a cheeseburger stuck in his throat. For me, what stood out most about him was his production team, who were without doubt game-changers. But also, the way in which he was marketed affected hip hop for the forseeable future. What can't be denied is that B.I.G. was a larger than life figure(no pun intended, seriously), and the biggest insult I can lay against this film is that it just feels too small. It doesnt' feel important enough to give the subject the grandiosity that they obviously feel he deserves.
First timer Jamal Woolard plays Biggie from teenage to adulthood. Biggie grew up on the streets of Brooklyn, raised by his mother, Voletta Wallace. The first part of the film sets up his relatively affluent upbringing, as his mother attempts to keep her son educated amidst an increasingly corrupt and violent neighborhood. But Biggie has higher aspirations. He wants the money he sees being passed around like candy amongst his peers, and eventually his life turns to crime. On the streets he learns his sense of loyalty, but also gets a feel of what that life ultimately leads to. The film bends itself over backwards to justify his every action during this period, a trend that will continue for the duration. His skills as a rapper are demonstrated in brief snippets on street corners, but never really given the attention they deserve considering that is what the film is about, but whatever. In fact, when he is first introduced to Sean "Puffy" Combs, it's never really made clear why they think he deserves a record deal. They could've done a better job getting it across just how special his skills were compared to anybody else on the street tryin' to rap.
I was initially concerned about how Combs would be portrayed, being such a controversial figure and all. Puffy in real life is as much a polarizing figure as Biggie was. Some see him as a master genius, crafting a flamboyant persona that fit the mold of his operation to a tee. Others see him as a buffoonish shark, who stumbled into everything he's got and has clung to the shirttails of his far more talented roster for sustenance. Derek Luke plays him pretty much straight down the middle, EXCEPT there is a hint that the director sees Puffy as a bit of a clown. See if you can count the number of times Puffy is actually standing still to the number of times he's seen doing that oafish Puffy dance(you know how it goes) even when it's not called for. It makes Puffy seem like a bit of a court jester.
One of the prevailing themes is his treatment of the women in his life. He had a child with his first girlfriend, Jan, and in an effort to "be a man" the film excuses his behavior as "doing what needed to be done". He quickly ditched her in favor of Lil Kim, played to a tee by Naturi Naughton. She perfectly captures Kim in her early years, combining stark sexuality with a hint of schoolgirl charm. When she raps, she spits venom and it's easy to see why B.I.G. became so infatuated with her. Ofcourse he treats her the way he ultimately treats all of his women, including his wife Faith Evans. Their relationship, much like in real life, comes out of nowhere and never really seems based on anything of real substance. It's short-lived, unexplored, and uninteresting until the inevitable blowup occurs.
There seemed to be a concerted effort to ditch any reflection on how Biggie enjoyed his time at the top. It's basically rise and jump immediately to the fall. Most of that is centered around the most controversial aspect of his life, which was his relationship with 2Pac Shakur. In the film, 2Pac was Biggie's idol. A guy from the streets who had made it big in rap and movies. 2Pac was a wild card, eager to maintain his street cred by hanging out with thugs and criminals. Anthony Mackie plays the slain rapper as best he can, but he doesn't really look the part nor does he have the necessary charisma for the role. 2Pac would eventually become bitter enemies over, as the film suggests, a case of paranoia after 2pac was brutally robbed at gunpoint while Biggie and friends were in the same building. The movie, as usual, glosses over this and paints Biggie being totally clueless. The rivalry blows up into a full blown war of vicious threats and personal attacks, escalating into the much talked about East Coast vs. West Coat war which ultimately led to the doom of both rappers.
Despite my initial misgivings, I actually ended up enjoying a good majority of the film. There are some genuinely good performances within, particularly by Angela Bassett playing Biggie's mother, Voletta. Bassett excels at just this type of role, giving strong, tragic women the respect they deserve on screen. It's just a shame that her character is largely abandoned halfway through. I already mentioned Naughton's Lil Kim as a highpoint. On the flipside, Jamal Woolard is hit or miss in his portrayal of Biggie. He certainly looks the part, but he can't seem to keep track of his speech pattern. Often times he would stumble in and out of his accent mid-sentence. He would sound like he was from Brooklyn one minute, then anywhere else the next. It was painfully obvious that this was his first real role, as he never could capture any emotion other than extreme anger or extreme happiness, and for such a conflicted figure as this that just wasn't going to be enough. On the other hand, he was brilliant during the musical sequences, particularly capturing the energy and stage presence that Biggie had in spades. In fact, all of the musical sequences were well done. If nothing else this film will have the best soundtrack of the year.
In the beginning I mentioned that the movie doesn't feel big enough for a figure as large as the Notorious B.I.G., and that's true. It's not a technical issue or a casting issue. It's a script issue. A directing issue. Whether you liked him or not, Biggie Smalls was a man who inspired thousands of people to come out and celebrate his life when it was cut so tragically short. He was a man who changed the course of an entire industry. But none of that is adequately presented in the film itself, and it makes the last few minutes, featuring shots of hundreds of people following Biggie's funeral procession pointless. If perhaps they had spent more time showing why he was such a loved figure, it would've made more sense. Still, I hope people will see it and decide for themselves. I have a feeling that, much like the man himself, this will be a polarizing film that some will love and others will outright loathe. In a weird way I I guess that makes sense.
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