Notorious

Feb 15 2009 by Graham Young, Sunday Mercury

H H H

Cast: Jamal Woolard, Angela Bassett, Derek Luke.

Plot: The life and times of Christopher ‘Biggie’ Wallace, aka rapper The Notorious B.I.G. Bullied as a child, he began to express himself by writing down lyrics and he grew up to be an East Coast star. But, when he went to play LA at the age of 24, he was shot while waiting at traffic lights. His death came just six months after west coast rapper Tupac Shakur was also killed.

Good points: Jamal Woolard (aka real-life rapper Gravy) delivers a surprisingly sensitive performance as the big man who seems to have his younger self trapped inside.

Angela Bassett is little used, but terrific as his single mother Voletta in a film which puts her maternal concerns ahead of any conspiracy theories relating to the Shakur/Notrious rivalry and killings.

Bad points: Not all of the diaologue is easy to hear, especially at the beginning when Notorious is narrating his story.

Although Notorious is presented warts and all, it still seems little bit too sanitised and sympathetic to ring wholly true. It also makes it seem too normal to turn to drugs and to carry guns.

Should I see it? By eschewing the rap genres usual limitations, director George Tillman Jr delivers a human drama that will have a wider appeal than you might expect.

GRAHAM YOUNG