But the real standout is Anthony Mackie, whose performance as Tupac Shakur is both convincing and respectful toward the rapperвЂ™s legend.Дespite its flaws, Notorious ultimately succeeds in narrating the rise and fall of a hip-hop icon whose career helped define an era. Diddy himself, and Naturi Naughton gives a rousing rendition of the voluptuous and fiery female MC LilвЂ™ Kim. Derek LukeвЂ™s Sean вЂњPuffyвЂќ Combs is almost as flashy and vain as P. Right before his death, surrounded by friends and family, he prays, simply, вЂњDear God, thank you.вЂќ Wallace probably died without such fulfillment, but itвЂ™s satisfying nonetheless to see Woolard achieve it.Дramatic shortcomings aside, Woolard isnвЂ™t the only cast member who manages to accurately portray a contemporary public figure. The real life Christopher Wallace was haunted by the elusive goals of personal and artistic fulfillment, but Tillman lets WoolardвЂ™s character find eventual satisfaction in his family and in his progression toward manhood. His portrayal of the rapper is convincing, but his displays of inner turmoil arenвЂ™t. In the face of so much emotional confusion, Woolard sometimes seems overwhelmed. The film takes special note of BiggieвЂ™s emotional development on his journey to stardom, portraying Wallace as tormented by his motherвЂ™s battle with cancer and by his troubled romantic and personal life. While Woolard is a perfect physical and lyrical fit for the role, he is a rapper who turned to acting specifically for this part, and he proves unable to carry the film all the way to its end. Coupled with WoolardвЂ™s fantastic vocal performance, these musical scenes produce some of the filmвЂ™s best moments. Tillman uses a shaky hand-held camera to capture the raw energy and unpolished brilliance of BiggieвЂ™s early rap battles on the streets of Brooklyn. In several live concert scenes, the portly WoolardвЂ™s enormous frame is silhouetted against smoky spotlights, filling up the screen in the same way that BigвЂ™s thick, lively grumble dominates tracks. Tillman does a great job of visually capturing BiggieвЂ™s larger-than-life stature. WoolardвЂ™s rapping chops are impressive, and his on-screen renditions of the rhymes we all know by heart are almost good enough to make us forget that theyвЂ™re re-recordings. Discovered in an open casting call, his droopy-eyed scowl and deep, nasal voice serve as virtually flawless imitations of the original. In his role as Notorious B.I.G., unknown Brooklyn rapper Jamal вЂњGravyвЂќ Woolard captures both the charismatic showmanship of a born entertainer and the cold-hearted ruthlessness of a man determined to improve his lot at all costs. Though Tillman squeezes the storyline into a cinematic archetype, the character of Biggie Smalls nonetheless shines through clearly. turns to a musical montage of pop charts and magazine covers-a sure sign of lazy directing. To illustrate WallaceвЂ™s astronomical rise in popularity following the release of his first single, director George Tillman Jr. BigвЂ™s life and career altered the landscape of American pop culture, but his story as told by Notorious feels hackneyed and clichГ©. This makes Notorious easy to watch, but it shrinks BiggieвЂ™s story into the pre-cut Hollywood mold of an underprivileged talent who miraculously rises to the top before crashing violently to the bottom. Making use of narrative voice-overs, the film moves along briskly and manages to condense WallaceвЂ™s life into a fairly straightforward progression of events. The film focuses primarily on telling WallaceвЂ™s life story, from his Brooklyn upbringing under the watchful eye and harsh tongue of his mother (an emphatic Angela Bassett) to his place at the top of the hip-hop game. However, the film fails to deliver an honest exploration of the artistвЂ™s turbulent life, reducing his story to the worn-out narrative of one manвЂ™s journey from rags to riches. Notorious, Fox SearchlightвЂ™s biopic of the former king of New York rap, stays faithful to his iconic legacy and larger-than-life personality. His feud with friend-turned-rival Tupac Shakur came to define вЂ90s rap, and he was one of the few MCs who was able to balance mainstream radio appeal and street credibility. Over a decade after his death in a drive-by shooting, Christopher Wallace (better known as the Notorious B.I.G.) maintains his storied place in the hip-hop lexicon.

Biggie smalls life after death