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Bookmark this pageNotorious (2009)
Director: George Tillman Jr
Movie review
From Time Out London
As mainstream hip hop becomes ever more predictable, so do the biopics about its stars. Like the Eminem and 50 Cent movies before it, ‘Notorious’ tells of a fatherless ghetto child seduced into the thug life who achieves financial and personal salvation through music. And while George Tillman Jr’s film never tries to sugar coat the truth of Biggie Smalls’s short life, his inability to find a new angle on this timeworn tale leaves the film feeling stale and pedestrian.‘Notorious’ is co-produced by Smalls’s mother, Voletta Wallace, with exec producer Sean ‘P Diddy’ Combs looming large over proceedings. What’s surprising is how willing they are to showcase the darker side of Biggie’s personality: he’s a womaniser, willing to sell crack to a pregnant woman, ignore his children and attack his wife. An unconvincing third act redemption aside, this is a warts-and-all portrait.
But in every other aspect, ‘Notorious’ is exactly the film its pedigree would suggest. It checks off all the gangsta rap boxes: first street battle, first arrest, first live show. It’s directed in drab fashion and its characters are left unexplored: Voletta is the archetypal long-suffering saint, with Diddy as the reliable businessman keeping his charge on an even keel. And when it comes to the issue of commerce, the filmmakers try to have their cake and eat it, filling the screen with an orgy of hot cars and free-flowing Moët while still attempting to convince their audience that money ain’t everything.
Author: Tom Huddleston
Time Out London Issue 2008, 12 -18 February, 2008
User reviews of this film
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- vik said...
- Posted on Mar 06 2009 19:44 top film go watch it
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- morri said...
- Posted on Feb 28 2009 21:40 The certificate of this film says 15, yet I took my daughter and her friend who are both the same age(15)I was shocked to see such explicit sex scenes, did not know where to put my face did not realise so all parents BEWARE!If I would have known this I would not have taken them. Overall quite a good film, the main character sounds just like notorius himself, good music,not a bad film, would buy it on dvd just for the music really. It's worth going to the cinema to see it but make sure your over 18....6/10
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- el_indio said...
- Posted on Feb 28 2009 11:07 music, cinema and art is well and truly dead if this shower of shit is capturing the youth's imagination.
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- sarah said...
- Posted on Feb 24 2009 18:47 iv watched notorious and i gotta say it was just wiked! you really hav 2 watch it its just straight forward biggie is amazing the raps are outstanding.. just appealing movie showing what ppl think life is all about money, drugs paper chasing, gyals sex, guns etc etc.. and then ending up geting loked up! it must hav been the greatest movie iv actualy watched in cinemas after a year lol! i advice you should watch it but over 18s lolll
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- BeeBee said...
- Posted on Feb 20 2009 13:24 Tanslation: This film is going to be a hit trust me but really and truely they should have done one about 2pac. Although Biggy has got a sick flow but 2pac is big in the game trust me... i'm going to watch it tomorrow and see how it is... HAHA
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- Kim W said...
- Posted on Feb 20 2009 12:43 This film is really good, better than i thought it would be!! thumbs up from me!!!
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- chunk said...
- Posted on Feb 20 2009 10:04 this is a phat film seen it uva night its sikk
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- nelipoop said...
- Posted on Feb 19 2009 17:32 sam is a dikhead
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- hip hop said...
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Posted on Feb 18 2009 13:59
HA HA
Thats what im gonna do....you took the words straight out of my mouth - Report as inappropriate
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- Knobs said...
- Posted on Feb 18 2009 12:39 How can so many people rate this film so high without actually seeing it? I will probably wait until it's been out a while so the cimena isn't filled with knobs with their jeans around the ankles and pants hanging out.
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- hip hop said...
- Posted on Feb 17 2009 22:43 I hope this film does biggie justice..Those people who made who put together those biggie albums after he passed way have no soul.Party and Bullsh!@ was a hit,ready to die is a classic,life after death blew up.The rest of the albums suck.Back to the film,im looking foward to it.........if you really wanna here about biggie from his friends go to youtube and type dj premier talking about biggie smalls.
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- Evans7 said...
- Posted on Feb 17 2009 17:43 i knew tom huddlestone was a good football player but didnt know he did reviews, going to see this tonight looks pretty special
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- Nicole said...
- Posted on Feb 17 2009 11:26 I was never a biggie an although i know a few of his songs; but i loved this film..! it gave me a good insight into his short life, however the only thing that confused me was actors playing roles such as puff, lil kim n faith evans..? Great film, got a good buzz from it :)
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- sam said...
- Posted on Feb 16 2009 16:22 words cannot do justice as to how awful this films is. this reviewer has been very generous
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- sam said...
- Posted on Feb 16 2009 16:22 words cannot do justice as to how awful this films is. this reviewer has been very generous
- Report as inappropriate
Cast & crew
Director: George Tillman Jr
Cast: Jamal Woolard, Derek Luke, Angela Bassett, Dennis L.A. White, Marc John Jefferies, Christopher Jordan Wallace full cast
Genre(s): Drama
Rated: 15
Duration: 119 mins
UK Release: Feb 13 2009
US Release: Jan 16 2009
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