“Notorious” movie preview: A B.I.G. surprise
Jamal Woolard impresses as rapper Notorious B.I.G.
I really needed the “Notorious” movie, the biopic of slain rapper Notorious B.I.G. starring an unknown Jamal Woolard, to be all it could be.
And after catching a Monday preview screening, I’m glad to report it nearly is, save for an unusually average performance by Angela Bassett as B.I.G.’s devoted mother.
This is one of those movies that might’ve gone wrong in any number of ways, but finds the right beat throughout.
Just wait until you see Naturi Naughton, formerly of teen girl group 3LW, expose nearly all her “business” in her impressive performance as nasty rapper Lil Kim. What must Naughton’s former group mates, who went on to form Cheetah Girls, think?
Oh yeah, Cheetah Girl Adrienne Bailon has already done some baring of her own.
“Notorious” opens Friday; read my full review in Friday’s Post-Dispatch.
Also, Crown Royal and Nuvo are presenting “The Notorious Cocktail 3 Day Event Spectacular.”
That will feature the Review, a free party at 9 p.m. Thursday at 609 Lounge; the Preview, a party at 10:30 p.m. Friday at EXO that’s free before 10:30 p.m.; the Premier, a red carpet showing of “Notorious” at 7 p.m. Saturday at AMC Esquire; and the After Party at 10 p.m. Saturday at the Gramophone.
Kevin C. Johnson has covered the St. Louis' music and nightlife scene for the past decade. 
I also had the pleasure of viewing the screening on Monday. I enjoyed the movie, you can tell that it was filmed by a first time director, or atleast I think he is, because of the quality if the film. However, the content of the film was interesting and definitely worthy of the trip. I learned Biggie and Puff’s side of the East Coast West coast madness and it was quite enligtening. If you are a true Hip Hop fan you will enjoy reminising to the old Biggie classics. The movie took me back to some fun times. Over all I truly enjoyed this film. Go see it!
Never really was a biggie fan but interested in seeing the movie tho….always a Faith Evans fan so it should be ok.
Kevin mentioning Adrienne Bailon’s “baring” was really in poor taste. How can he compare an actress choosing to bare her skin for a public audience to a girl who made private images for her boyfriend, only to have them plastered all over the internet?
Next thing you know, Kevin is going to start comparing the sex scene in Brokeback Mountain to something tragic and horrible that happened to that poor local kid.
Get a grip, this is a blog not an AP story.
I have heard nothing but great things about the film, and I already have it pencilled into my Friday night schedule! The urban stations here in Houston have been talking about it since yesterday, complete with interviews with Violetta Wallace and Sean Combs…and I’m really hyped!
I am interested in Kevin’s comment about Angela’s average performance. It’s interesting because in Violetta’s interview, her praise of Angela’s performance wasn’t as enthusiastic as it seemed that it should have had. I also recalled that Violetta didn’t seem to be completely gung ho about her son’s lifestyle or career choice; in fact, I felt quite uncomfortable as she said, “Do I love the monster? No. But I love my son. Love you don’t change. My love is still here for my son. But his behavior? Thank God he’s not here because I would slap the daylights out of him.”
In drawing a parallel, I wonder if Angela felt a conflict between how she wanted to portray the character and the way that Violetta really felt.
Angela’s accent came and went throughout the film which was distracting. Casting was on point for Faith Evans, Lil Kim and Notorious, himself. However, overall, in my opinion, the film was just a BET Movie, not exactly the level of an E! True Hollywood Story. It will do well, because Biggie’s fans are just like there and will support but it’s not a great movie to me.
I have not seen the movie yet, but I’ve noticed from clips that Angela Basset doesn’t dispaly much of a “Jamaican” accent like the real real Ms. Wallace clearly does. But I can’t wait to see the film nonetheless. I didn’t know Adrianne Bailon had bared all in a tape, is it with that Kardashian boy she was dating-Robert, Jr.? Haven’t those people learned their lesson about that yet? I digress…
im looking forward to seeing this movie….