DVD Review: Notorious [Blu-ray]: Angela Bassett, John Ventimiglia, Charles Malik Whitfield, Marc John Jefferies, Aunjanue Ellis, Derek Luke, Anthony Mackie, Antonique Smith, Kevin L. Phillips, Dennis White, Jamal Woolard, Naturi Naughton, Julia Pace Mitchell, Christopher Jordan Wallace, Michael Grady, Danny Elfman, Jr. George Tillman, Steven Rosenblum, Dirk Westervelt: Movies & TV
DVD Review: Notorious [Blu-ray]: Angela Bassett, John Ventimiglia, Charles Malik Whitfield, Marc John Jefferies, Aunjanue Ellis, Derek Luke, Anthony Mackie, Antonique Smith, Kevin L. Phillips, Dennis White, Jamal Woolard, Naturi Naughton, Julia Pace Mitchell, Christopher Jordan Wallace, Michael Grady, Danny Elfman, Jr. George Tillman, Steven Rosenblum, Dirk Westervelt: Movies & TV![DVD Review: Notorious [Blu ray]: Angela Bassett, John Ventimiglia, Charles Malik Whitfield, Marc John Jefferies, Aunjanue Ellis, Derek Luke, Anthony Mackie, Antonique Smith, Kevin L. Phillips, Dennis White, Jamal Woolard, Naturi Naughton, Julia Pace Mitchell, Christopher Jordan Wallace, Michael Grady, Danny Elfman, Jr. George Tillman, Steven Rosenblum, Dirk Westervelt: Movies & TV DVD Review: Notorious [Blu ray]: Angela Bassett, John Ventimiglia, Charles Malik Whitfield, Marc John Jefferies, Aunjanue Ellis, Derek Luke, Anthony Mackie, Antonique Smith, Kevin L. Phillips, Dennis White, Jamal Woolard, Naturi Naughton, Julia Pace Mitchell, Christopher Jordan Wallace, Michael Grady, Danny Elfman, Jr. George Tillman, Steven Rosenblum, Dirk Westervelt: Movies & TV 200942711305637977801](/dvd/30/200942711305637977801.jpg)
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In music terms, Brooklyn’s Christopher “Biggie Smalls” Wallace was a hip-hop superstar to rival Oakland’s Tupac Shakur. In movie terms, however, 2Pac has long overshadowed B.I.G. with the films he made as an actor and the documentaries that followed in the wake of his similarly-unsolved murder. George Tillman Jr. (Soul Food, Men of Honor) aims to correct that imbalance with Notorious, the authorized biography of the larger-than-life New York rapper. Produced by his mother, Voletta Wallace (played by Angela Bassett), and record producer Sean “Puffy” Combs (Derek Luke), Tillman presents Biggie as a bright child who grew up to be a drug dealer before finding his true calling on stage, only to be cut down in the prime of life. In his feature-film debut, Jamal “Gravy” Woolard captures Biggie’s complexity–the loyalty to his crew, the disloyalty to his ladies (including Lil’ Kim and Faith Evans)–but struggles to make him as sympathetic as the figure that emerges in Nick Broomfield’s Biggie & Tupac, simply because the script relies too heavily on the usual musical-bio clichés. Fortunately, several bright spots elevate the scenario, such as Anthony Mackie as Pac, Christopher Wallace Jr. as young Biggie, and Woolard’s rapping, which segues seamlessly into B.I.G.’s (the soundtrack mixes original tracks with remakes). If Notorious isn’t a failure, it isn’t a triumph either, but Tillman has crafted it with love and respect, and only a stone could remain unmoved by the real-life funeral footage at the end. –Kathleen C. Fennessy
Stills from Notorious (Click for larger image)
Great Music Biopic For the Hip Hop Genre,
By Rubin Farr “jedi4q2″ (USA) -
Saw this when it was in theaters, and was pleasantly surprised it did not disappoint. What put this film over the top was the excellent casting; the characters of Biggie, Faith Evans, Lil Kim, and even Tupac and Voletta Wallace (played by Angela Bassett) made this a believable account of what happened between these intersecting lives that left such a mark on musical history, and ultimately, a tragedy. You really felt for young Christopher as he grew up in the 80’s admiring the rising hip hop stars of the day, and perfecting his rhyming skills on the street, while trying to avoid the perils of drugs and crime. What I liked most about this film was the humanity they brought to his character, making him seem like more of a real person than a musical icon. He wasn’t perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but he was trying to be a good person, no matter what obstacles life threw in his way. Ultimately this is a tale of a flawed individual, as we all are, who was lucky enough to raise himself out of the conditions he found himself in, and tried to make his mark on history, which ultimately, he did.
Well-cast, beautiful cinematography, very slick editing and simply an amazing release on Blu-ray!,
By Dennis A. Amith (kndy) (California) -
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)
The death of Christopher “Notorious B.I.G.” Wallace in 1997 was a big shock to hip hop fans around the world.
The events preceding his death was well-known, well-documented in the media in regards to the major riff with the East Coast vs. West Coast hip hop feud.
Considered as one of the greatest hip hop artists ever, “Notorious” is a biopic that documents the life of Christopher “Notorious B.I.G.” Wallace and grossing over $43 million worldwide.
The film was directed by George Tillman, Jr. (”Soul Food” and “Men of Honor”) and a screenplay co-written by Reggie Rock Bythewood and Cheo Hodari Coker (the author of “Unbelievable: The Life, Death, and Afterlife of the Notorious B.I.G.”) which showcases and celebrates the rapper’s life.
VIDEO & AUDIO:
The NOTORIOUS Unrated Director’s Cut Collector’s Edition Blu-ray Disc is presented in widescreen format (2.55:1 ration) with English 5.1 DTS HD Master Audio and Spanish 5.1 Audio with French and Spanish subtitles. English subtitles will also be available for the deaf and hard of hearing.
Picture quality for “Notorious” looked amazing as you can see the skin pores quite clearly on high definition but what is most amazing is how New York was captured on film. From the beauty of the city to its gritty side, the level of vibrancy in the colors, beautiful cinematography and wonderful editing really made this biopic come alive.
As for the audio, audio is presented in English 5.1 DTS HD Master Audio. Audio is crystal clear during the dialogue department but its even more exciting during the musical segments as your speakers really showcase the drum and bass, giving your subwoofers a workout. From the performance of “Party & Bulls***t”to the overall atmosphere with the crowd going wild, the soundtrack is well done!
SPECIAL FEATURES:
The “Notorious” Blu-ray Disc is jam-packed with special features. The 2-Disc Blu-ray version includes a digital copy and also the unrated director’s cut and theatrical version of the film. Special features included are:
* Commentary with Director George Tillman, Jr., Co-Screenwriter Reggie Rock Bythewood, Co-Screenwriter Cheo Hodari Coker and Editor Dirk Westervelt - This commentary features the filmmaking side of “Notorious”. Really well-done and there is a picture-in-picture segment featuring the screenplay and interviews with the talent.
* Commentary with Producer/Biggie’s Mom Voletta Wallace, Producer/Biggie’s Co-Manager Wayne Barrow and Producer/Biggie’s Co-Manager Mark Pitts - This is a very unique commentary. For one, Ms. Wallace was very instrumental for the film but what I enjoyed abut this commentary and hearing his co-managers talk is them actually chiming in what was different in terms of the real Chris Wallace and the version portrayed on the film. Small situations such as when Chris goes to prison for the first time, his first and only call is to his mother and for Chris, panicking he cusses. His mother was clear that her son knew better than to cuss around her and never did. So, that was quite interesting to hear.
* Behind the Scenes: “Making of Notorious” Featurette - (27:22) Interviews with Voletta Wallace, Director Frank Tillman, Jr., Christopher Wallace’s friends and the talent. Learning on how the casting director’s searched for the right talent to play the certain roles for the film. Behind-the-scenes footage of the planning for the film from casting auditions to how authentic the crew wanted to make this film and making sure New York during that time was captured correctly. Interviews with the actual people close to Biggie and the people portraying them.
* I Got a Story to Tell: The Lyrics of Biggie Smalls - (9:28) How Notorious B.I.G. was an icon. Interviews with radio DJ’s, magazine interviewers, friends and family of Biggie explaining to the viewer how great a guy he was and how humorous he is.
* NOTORIOUS Thugs: Casting the Film - (9:05) Interviews with the casting directors Twinkie Byrd and Pamela Frazier and how and why they made their final decision in casting the main characters for the film.
* Biggie Boot Camp - (6:48) Interview with Director Frank Tillman, Jr. and how the characters had to go through a boot camp in order to prepare for their roles and make the film as authentic as possible. From acting coach to the live performances.
* Anatomy of a B.I.G. Performance - (5:15) Interview with Director Frank Tillman, Jr. & Little Cease about getting the details right for Notorious B.I.G. shows. And basing the live footage of the film from the actual recorded live performances. How there was no lip syncing and how the talent had to make the crowd move.
* Party & Bulls**t (never-before-seen footage of the real B.I.G.) - (3:42) Oldschool never-seen-before live footage of Party & Bulls**t.
* The B.I.G. Three-Sixty - A segment featuring the filming of the murder of Notorious B.I.G. near Wilshire Blvd. and Fairfax Ave. A 360 segment which the viewer can go left and right and each section has a video of certain segments that deal with the shooting of the murder scene.
o The Petersen - (1:13) Going behind the scenes of the Petersen Museum for the party that Biggie attended, hours before he was murdered. Interview with producer Trish Hoffman, Wayne Barrow, co-writer Cheo Hodari Coker and Director Frank Tillman, Jr.
o Directing the Last Moments - (2:10) Director Frank Tillman, Jr. discussing how difficult the scene was to shoot.
o It Happened Right Here - (1:23) Interview with Producer/Biggie’s Co-Manager Wayne Barrow discussing the spot where Biggie was killed.
o The Petersen Exit - (2:15) Interviews with crew and talent in regards to the scene when Biggie and his friends leave the Petersen Exit minutes before he is killed at the stoplight.
o The Shooting - (4:12) Interview with Director Frank Tillman, Jr., Cheo Hodari Coker and Reggie Rock Bythewood (co-writers) and Producer/Biggie’s Co-Manager Wayne Barrow and producer Robert Teitel discussing how difficult it was to shoot the heartwrenching scene and shooting in the actual corner of where it all happened.
o The Impala - (1:12) Interview with Producer/Biggie’s Co-Manager Wayne Barrow discussing the Chevy Impala that the killer drove.
o The Unfortunate Violent Act - (1:09) Interview with Reggie Rock Bythewood (co-writer) on how they shot the scene because the investigation to Biggie’s death is still ongoing.
o The Window - (1:30) Interview with FX Technician Larz Anderson on how they made the broken glass window affect without firing a bullet.
* Deleted Scenes - (12:13) A total of nine deleted scenes and an extended scene with a brief text introduction to each scene.
o Assassin assembles his gun
o Taking care of business
o Big on his own
o Finding inspiration
o The assassin watches
o In the hotel pool
o East Coast in the house
o After the accident
o The assassin backs up
o Extended Concert: Primo Street Rap
* BD-Live Feature - The Music: get even closer with the music of B.I.G. with this interactive trivia track and tag and track your favorite songs throughout the movie.
* BonusVIEW - Life After Death: Making NOTORIOUS
“NOTORIOUS” was an absolutely, wonderful film and the Blu-ray Disc was magnificent!
What I loved about the film is how much was put into making the film look authentic when it came to the kind of clothes, the type of haircut, the type of vehicles, the live performances and of course, the talents.
The crew’s determination to achieve authenticity was just amazing, James Woolard as Christopher Wallace was well-acted and his mannerisms was well-captured. I also thought that it was so touching for Biggie’s son, Christopher Jordan Wallace playing his father at a young age. The young man did a great job portraying his father.
Angela Bassett really showcased Voletta Wallace’s strength and caring for her son as a single mother and portrayed her quite well with emotion of happiness, sadness, anger, etc. Bassett definitely gave a powerful performance especially capturing the moment when Voletta realized how important her son’s music was to his fans.
Derek Luke also portrayed Sean “Puffy” Combs quite well and capturing his mannerisms, especially onstage and doing Puffy’s dance moves.
You also have give credit to Biggie’s entourage as Dennis L.A. White did a great job as Damion “D-Roc” Butler, capturing the time they were hustling on the streets and then afterward as a friend and being there when he died. Marc John Jeffries as Lil Cease as Biggie’s small friend but with a big heart and always there for him. Also, Kevin Phillips as Biggie’s manager Mark, did a good job showing his concern and for his sake, as well as his mother’s sake, taking care of him.
The ladies in Biggie’s life was well played by Antonique Smith as Faith Evans, Amanda Christopher as Keisha and Naturi Naughton as Lil Kim. Antonique having an impressive voice and having grown up listening and singing Faith Evans songs, definitely brought her beauty to the film. Naturi Naughton as Lil Kim was well-cast, especially for the actress showcasing the actual talent’s sexiness and how she became the sex-driven hip hop artist. That was quite interesting to know.
Well-cast and again, kudos to the crew for making sure these talents got down the mannerisms of their real counterparts.
Another major positive for the film is the cinematography and editing. Cinematography and capturing New York in a variety of forms from the area Biggie grew up to capturing the buildings and bridges and overall, Brooklyn. Director of Photography Michael Grady (”Wonderland”, “Hotel for Dogs”, etc.) did a phenomenal job. Editing was also done very well by Dirk Westervelt (”Journey to the Center of the Earth”). Cuts are tight and just the overall amount of editing from capturing New York to the live performances and making sure you feel the energy of the performance was well captured in the final cut.
And last, this film would not be successful without the well-written script by Reggie Rock Bythewood and Cheo Hodari Coker, who knew Biggie Smalls and worked with his family and friends in making sure they got certain parts as accurate as they can. Overall, pacing of the story was just right and made you care for the characters.
If there was anything negative that I found, the film tends to focus on the more positive sides of Christopher Lawrence and less on his well-publicized bad-boy past which he has gotten in trouble for. Aside from the drug dealing, Lawrence has had some major problems in his life with the law that were not shown in the film. But then again, there were so many layers that needed to be covered in the overall film such as his many relations with the women in his life, his best friends, his manager and other performers, if anything, the people who made this film are those who loved the man for what he did for them and the music he created for people. He touched a lot of lives and this film produced by the people most close to him, wanted to celebrate that.
I just can help but be amazed by how much is on this blu-ray disc. You get the original theatrical and unrated director’s cut, you get a digital download disc, you get a film showcasing the beauty of New York and the gritty side of the city with amazing picture quality.
Audio quality was just great especially with the music of Notorious B.I.G. and hearing the subwoofer’s lower frequency and the bass drum making things sound amazing during the musical segments. Audio is crystal clear and easily understood.
And of course, the Blu-ray features many special features with in-depth footage of the making of this film and getting to learn about the life of Christopher “Biggie” Wallace and also the heartbreaking scenes of his murder and having to shoot those scenes for the film. Also, kudos to the idea of including Voletta Wallace for the commentary segment a reality. Just a nice touch to hear Biggie’s mother speak about certain scenes and about her son.
Suffice to say, you’re getting your money’s worth with this Blu-ray release. Awesome picture quality, magnificent audio and jam-packed with features. I give “NOTORIOUS - UNRATED DIRECTOR’S CUT” a high recommendation and for Biggie fans, this Blu-ray disc is definitely worth having in your collection!
By the numbers hagiography,
By Turfseer (New York, N.Y.) -
This review is from: Notorious (Three-Disc Edition + Digital Copy) (DVD)
‘Notorious’ is the story of Christopher Wallace aka Biggie Smalls who became one of the most popular rap artists in the 1990s until he was gun downed at the very young age of 24. Biggie is played by newcomer Jamal Woolard who does a decent job playing Wallace, considering he never acted before.
The first 45 minutes of the film are the most interesting as it focuses on Biggie’s early career as a drug dealer. He’s constantly arguing with his mother (played by the always solid Angela Bassett) who finally throws him out of the house after he won’t give up his drug-dealing ways. Eventually he lands in jail where he starts writing rap lyrics which he eventually fashions into full-fledged songs in the recording studio. The era is ably recreated as we’re given a sense of how rap music developed during the 1980s and early 90s.
After his release from jail, Biggie starts building a reputation as a talented rapper in his Brooklyn neighborhood. He becomes a protégé of up and coming producer Sean “Puffy” Combs (one of the producers of the movie) who takes him under his wing. When Puffy is fired, Biggie goes back to drug-dealing only to find himself arrested again. This time however, a friend offers to take the rap on a gun charge and Biggie has a second chance to resume his career.
The rest of the movie chronicles Biggie’s eventual rise to the top. I was a little uncertain as to how Biggie actually got there. At one point he’s ‘paying his dues’ playing college gigs at places like Howard University. The next thing you know he’s got a number one hit record.
If one is to believe the screenwriters, despite Biggie’s involvement in the violent world of rap music, he was really a big Teddy Bear at heart. He’s a character who can basically do no wrong. Even though he cheats on the three women he’s closest to (the mother of his child, his wife and Lil Kim, fellow rap artist and lover), they all forgive this Teddy Bear despite his boorish behavior.
Notorious lacks a central external antagonist who Biggie is pitted against throughout the movie. If there is an antagonist, it’s got to be Tupac Shakur, the West Coast rapper who had a falling out with Biggie after he was shot outside a NYC recording studio. There are few dramatic scenes between Biggie and Tupac in Notorious and the relationship is mainly fleshed out through the use of an off-screen narrator. While Biggie admires Tupac as a philosopher and activist, he also perceives him as a loose cannon. According to Biggie’s version, after Tupac was shot for the first time, he became completely paranoid and believed everyone was after him (including Biggie).
As Biggie tells it, he made attempts to reconcile with Tupac but it never really worked out. Meanwhile the media played up the “East Coast-West Coast rivalry” which may have eventually led to the assassination of both Tupac and Biggie. The ‘rivalry’ is explained through a montage sequence which made me feel I was watching a documentary and not a feature film.
The second half of Notorious mainly involves Biggie’s internal struggles, particularly in the area of becoming a more responsible adult. Again, if you believe the screenwriters, despite acting irresponsibly with women and immersing himself in the thuggish, materialistic world of rap music (an involvement in a world which eventually led to his death), Biggie managed to stay ‘above the fray’. The point is made that his second (and last) album revealed a more ’sensitive’ side and that he was turning away from violence right before he died.
One gets a feeling that the writers of Notorious have little information as to Biggie’s dealings in his behind the scenes business world. Certainly they offer no theories as to who did him in. Instead, we’re treated to all the histrionics of his volatile relationships with women (which basically proves that he was a ‘ladies man’ and nothing much else). By focusing mainly on his relations with women, we only get to see one side of Biggie and I didn’t feel this was a complete, rounded picture.
Probably the weakest character in the film is Puffy Combs. Since he’s one of the film’s producers, it’s not in his interest to suggest anything controversial about his own character. Thus, Derek Luke has little to do in this film except act the part of a glorified cheerleader.
Notorious touches on all the bases of Christopher Wallace’s life. For those unfamiliar with all the details, it’s a modestly interesting and somewhat entertaining story. Nonetheless, the filmmakers chose to place their protagonist on a pedestal. By doing so, they imply that Biggie was detached from the violent world which he was a part of. That somehow he was an unsuspecting victim who had nothing to do with his own demise. The truth was probably somewhere in the middle–that at times he could be Biggie the Teddy Bear and at other times, Biggie the Thug. Instead of a hagiography, Notorious needed to present more of a balanced portrait but it settled for an excessively sentimental and by the numbers treatment which earns it an average “3″ in my book.
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