We’ve all heard the stories. In the last ten years we’ve read the interviews of the remaining major players. We’ve listened to all the tribute song and albums – We’ve even donned a t-shirt or two bearing the likeness of the round dark face in the bowler hat puffing the cigar. Let’s face it, there are so many reasons NOT to see a movie about Notorious BIG. 

Thankfully, Notorious – the George Tillman (Soul Food, Men Of Honor) helmed – biopic isn’t about Notorious BIG. This film is about Christopher Wallace. 

I’m not going to lie to you, Notorious isn’t a perfect film. Yes, a texturized DEREK LUKE overplays the already larger than life SEAN ‘DIDDY’ COMBS. Yes, ANTHONY MACKIE’S portrayal of the late great Tupac Shakur falls short of the dynamic magnitude of the real thing. And yes, LIL KIM has some cause to be upset. But all of these negative strikes against Notorious are still countered by one great factor – Christopher Wallace. 

This movie rises and falls on the shoulders of it’s main character, played brilliantly by acting newcomer (and Hip Hop punch-line) JAMAL ‘GRAVY’ WOOLARD. While he doesn’t quite have Big’s deep, throaty growl down – Woolard has somehow managed to become the second 6 foot tall, 300lb man to radiate a quiet charm and unwavering confidence that we haven’t seen since Papa himself. 

Most of us only knew BIG for a short time. He was only on the national radar for a little over four years before his murder. But what Tillman, along with scribes Cheo Hodori Coker and Reggie Rock Bythewood manage to do isn’t tell us the story of arguably one of the greatest rappers of all time. Instead Tillman uses his complex and layered script, his diverse but steady cast and the music we all have come to love – to he tell us the tale of a young boy from Bed Stuy who in a quest to transcend his fate, sees music as his only way out. This boy becomes a man who uses his charm to overshadow his looks, uses his imposing presence to sometimes say the things that he cannot and uses the women he draws in, to make him feel like the man he wished he was. And oh yeah, along the way he happens to become caught in the middle of one of raps deadliest beefs. 

I would’ve liked to see more roundness in some of the films female characters. ANGELA BASSESTT’S turn as Voletta Wallce, Biggie’s long-suffering mother was a strong performance but sometimes played a little too tenderly (I’m sure this has something to do with Voletta’s Executive Producer role). Faith Evans, played by relative unknown ANTONIQUE SMITH perhaps was under explored and left me wondering why she stayed as long as she did. And then there’s Lil Kim. Former 3LW singer NATURI NAUGHTON also made her acting debut as the young girl that would become the ferociously sexed-up MC. The relationship between BIG and his mentee was one perhaps a little too complicated for a movie already so characteristically burdened. But the natural chemistry between the two – evidenced in a graphic but realistic sex scene – is palpable. 

If you’re looking for the story of BIG – your favorite rapper – Wait a few days and cop the bootleg. But if you’re down for seeing an honest and unapologetic film about the 80’s, about Brooklyn, about a defining era in Hip Hop and about Christopher Wallace, then get your tickets now. B+