Notorious (2009)
Genre: Biography / Music
Duration: 123 minuten
Country:
United States
Directed by: George Tillman Jr.
Stars: Jamal Woolard, Derek Luke and Angela Bassett
IMDb score:
6,7 (47.029)
Releasedate: 16 January 2009
Notorious plot
"No dream is too B.I.G."
Growing up in Brooklyn, Christopher Wallace did not have an easy childhood. His father left his mother when Wallace was two years old and Christopher started selling drugs at the age of twelve. When he dropped out of school for good at the age of seventeen, he ended up in a downward spiral of crime and drugs. The music turned out to be his salvation, but later also his downfall. As 'Unsigned Hype' he managed to grow into one of the big names in hip-hop music. This film follows the eventful life of hip-hop heavyweight Christopher Wallace, better known as 'The Notorious BIG'.
Actors and actresses
Christopher 'Biggie' Wallace
Sean 'Puffy' Combs
Lil' Kim
Tupac "2Pac" Shakur
Faith Evans
Voletta Wallace
Lil Cease
Suge Knight
Biggie (age 8-13)
Damion 'D-Roc' Butler
Reviews & comments
606
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- 23834 messages
- 12035 votes
Wonderful film adaptation of a man who passed away much too soon.
A man who fought to make a dream come true.
I also liked BIG more personally than 2pac.
Very well acted by the cast.
4 stars
Translated from Dutch · View original
Onderhond
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- 87451 messages
- 12499 votes
Pretty nice.
Like most non-hip-hop fans, I really only know BIG post mortem. A heavy rapper made great by Puff Daddy with a song or three after his death, only to be never heard from again. So in a movie like this it's always nice to give the story a little more scope.
I never knew anything about the relationship with Faith Evans, that Lil Kim was also somewhere in the mix was completely new to me. In that respect it's quite funny to get the demise of BIG smeared out for once, although it remains conjecture what is and isn't exaggerated in these kinds of films.
Also funny that these musical heroes are not so great heroes. Dealing and captivity, fucking around with some kids left and right, letting his mom sit when she tells him she has cancer. The film does not create a rosy picture of Wallace (and 2Pac by the way), but somehow that is also refreshing. That post-death adulation of artists in film form is otherwise so boring and solid, although the reality may have been slightly less than producer Combs presents here.
Nice to see once. Brings some more insight into the hip-hop world of about 15 years ago for people who were not aware of it at the time. Also nicely acted (although it is strange to see all those famous figures played by actors) and smoothly put together. Although it remains a classic rise & fall biopic of course, despite some sharper edges.
3.0*
Translated from Dutch · View original
Film Pegasus (moderator films)
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- 30827 messages
- 5356 votes
The story of the hip-hop icon Notorious BIG, made with people around him. Puff Daddy as producer and his own son plays the young version of BIG Actor Jamal Woolard is himself from Brooklyn and a rapper, he would later reprise the role in the Tupac biopic: All eyez on me.
Most biopics are about a rise & fall and then end on a positive note. The life of Notorious BIG was rise with the necessary troubles but with a big bang instead of a fall. Fortunately, the film sticks around the rapper without focusing too much on the battle between east and west. That obviously played a part, but entails a completely different story. Nice to see other famous names like Lil' Kim, Puff Daddy, Faith Evans, Tupac, Suge Knight and more. But the strength is mainly that the atmosphere is right, the main actor is well cast and it is both an open biopic and an ode to the singer. Later in the film we sometimes see images that were made in real life. Without going too far.
It gives a nice picture of the rapper and the world of East Coast hip hop from the 90s. Great music too, without it just being a best off of Notorious BIG. The music is very appropriate and well performed. Wonderful film, beautifully made. Even though it seems quite standard, this is clearly made with love and knowledge.
Translated from Dutch · View original
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