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Notorious(2009 film)

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Notorious
Theatrical release poster
Directed byGeorge Tillman Jr.
Written by
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyMichael Grady
Edited by
Music byDanny Elfman
Production
companies
Distributed byFox Searchlight Pictures
Release date
  • January 16, 2009(2009-01-16)
Running time
123 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$20 million[2]
Box office$44.4 million[2]

Notoriousis a 2009 Americanbiographical dramafilm directed byGeorge Tillman Jr.and written byReggie Rock BythewoodandCheo Hodari Coker.It is based on the life of Brooklyn-basedhip-hop artistThe Notorious B.I.G.Much of the film dramatizes key events in Biggie's life: his criminal lifestyle, arrest and release from prison, his relationships withSean Combs,Tupac Shakur,Lil' KimandFaith Evans,his involvement in theEast Coast–West Coast hip hop rivalryand hisdrive-by-shooting murderon March 9, 1997. The film starsJamal Woolardas Wallace, withAngela Bassett,Derek Luke,andAnthony Mackiein supporting roles. Biggie's mother, Voletta, served as a producer for the film, alongside his former managersWayne BarrowandMark Pitts.

Notoriouswas released in the United States on January 16, 2009, byFox Searchlight Pictures.The film received mixed reviews from critics and grossed $44.4 million on a $20 million budget.

Plot

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On March 9, 1997, inLos Angeles,just asThe Notorious B.I.G.is stopped at a red light, an assailant in a Chevrolet Impala pulls up next to his SUV and opens fire.

The film flashes back to his childhood in 1980sBrooklyn, New York,where he was a hard-working school student before being groomed into drug dealing. Christopher Wallace, The Notorious B.I.G.'s real name, begins selling drugs at the height of thecrack epidemicas he reaches adulthood, hustling with his friends Damion "D-Roc" Butler andLil' Cease.

When Christopher's girlfriend Jan tells him that she ispregnant,Christopher takes drug dealing more seriously so he can earn more money to support his growing family. Christopher eventually participates in arap battle,where he wins. However, his mother, Voletta, kicks him out of the house after finding crack underneath his bed and also because of the fact letters were sent home abouthim not attending school.

Christopher gets caught with guns and drugs, and he serves nine months in jail before being bailed out. Christopher meets 16-year oldKim Jones,but Kim refuses to pursue a relationship with him due to her abusive past, although the two soon become closer. After reconciling with his mother and visiting his newborn daughter, T'yanna, he records ademounder the name "Biggie Smalls", which catches the attention ofSean "Puffy" Combs,an ambitious record producer working forUptown.Puffy promises him a record deal, but Puffy later tells Biggie that he was fired by Uptown, to their mutually shared disappointment. Soon afterwards, he and D-Roc are again arrested for possessing a gun, but D-Roc takes the blame to allow Biggie to pursue his music career.

Biggie becomes depressed when he finds out his mother has been diagnosed withbreast cancer,but is cheered up when Puffy signs him to his newly established record label,Bad Boywith a $60,000 advance and he records his debut album,Ready to Die.At a Bad Boy photoshoot, Biggie meets R&B singerFaith Evans.The pair begin a relationship and get married on August 4, 1994, after only knowing each other for eight days. However, Faith catches him cheating, putting an end to the relationship. The two later reconcile, but the tensions between Biggie, Faith, Jan, and Kim, who is shown to be jealous of Faith, continue to grow.

At a party celebrating the release ofReady to Die,Tupac Shakurattends and talks to Biggie, with Biggie warning him about the people he associates with, telling him to watch the company he keeps while he's in New York. WhenTupac is robbed and shot five times at Quad Studios,he blames Bad Boy. AtThe Source Awardsin 1995,Suge Knightmakes a speech dissing Bad Boy Records.

After altercations between the two rappers, the disagreement escalates into the media, who capitalize on the tension and stoke the flames of an "East Coast–West Coast feud",and attacks are made on both sides. At the 1996Soul Train Awardsin Los Angeles, Biggie receives a death threat from an unknown caller; it is one of several that he has received throughout the day. At the afterparty, Tupac andSuge Knightverbally assault Biggie, but they leave when Biggie's security detail threatens them.

A song called "Who Shot Ya?"is released by Biggie, which is interpreted as a diss song by Tupac. Biggie and Puffy claim that" Who Shot Ya? "was recorded before Tupac got shot, but the latter responds with"Hit 'Em Up"where he disses Biggie, Puffy, Junior Mafia and the rest of the Bad Boy entourage. Tupac also claims he had sex with Faith. After seeing a magazine photo of Tupac and Faith together, Biggie accuses Faith of infidelity, but she insists nothing happened between her and Tupac.

Biggie and Faith attempt to reconcile after she tells him that she is pregnant with his son,C. J. Wallace,on October 29, 1996. The rivalry between the East and West Coast continues to escalate. At a concert inSacramento, California,Biggie gets booed. After this, Biggie performs "Who Shot Ya?". The rivalry between Biggie and Tupac continues untilthe latter is killedinLas Vegas, Nevada.Voletta tells Biggie that Tupac was probably killed as a result of their feud, which shakes him up. Biggie attempts to ease the tensions in his life by visiting Jan and T'Yanna more often.

Biggie and D-Roc renew their friendship after D-Roc is released from prison, and Biggie confides to him that he wants out of the rap game. However, Biggie decides to go to Los Angeles to promote his upcoming album,Life After Death,bringing D-Roc and Lil' Cease with him, along with Puff Daddy and Faith. While out in L.A., Biggie receives more death threats. After calling Lil' Kim to apologize and arrange a meeting with her, he leaves the party. The film returns to the opening scene,where Biggie is killed by an L.A assailant.

His funeral is held a few days later, where friends and colleagues mourn, along with thousands of fans, who line the streets to pay their respects. In the epilogue, Voletta self-reflects on Biggie's life, stating that while she is hurt that he was taken before his time - she finds peace in the fact that he accomplished his dream and left a lasting impact. A member of the crowd turns on aghetto blasterwhich plays Biggie's song "Hypnotize",and the crowd dances as Biggie's casket is driven down the city's streets.

Cast

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Production

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Development

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Antoine Fuquawas originally set to direct[4]before directorGeorge Tillman Jr.signed on to direct the project.[5]The film was distributed byFox Searchlight Pictures.[6]Producers onNotoriousincludeSean Combs,Voletta Wallace and Biggie's former managers Wayne Barrow and Mark Pitts.[5]

Casting

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In early October 2007, open casting calls for the role of The Notorious B.I.G. began.[7]Actors, rappers and members of the public all participated. RapperBeanie Sigelauditioned[8]for the role but was not picked.[9]Nissim Black(then known as D. Black) was also under consideration.[10]Eventually it was announced thatJamal Woolardwas cast as Biggie (he would also play Biggie in the Tupac biopicAll Eyez on Me).[11]

Other cast members includeAngela Bassettas Voletta Wallace,Derek LukeasSean Combs,Antonique SmithasFaith Evans,Naturi Naughton(formerly of3LW) asLil' Kim,Dennis L.A. White asD-RocandAnthony MackieasTupac Shakur.[12]The members of the hip-hop groupTrue 2 Life Musicheld small roles. An unknown actor also portraysCraig Mackin a scene as well.

Filming

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Principal photography began in March 2008.

Soundtrack

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Main article:Notorious (soundtrack)

A soundtrack album was released to accompany the film, although only eight of its tracks feature in the movie. The following tracks which Christopher Wallace Jr. had input on feature in the movie:

  • "Born Again" (Intro)
  • "Hypnotize"
  • "Going Back to Cali"
  • "Ten Crack Commandments"
  • "Bed Stuy Brooklyn"(the film credits list this as the title, although the track appears on the soundtrack under the name "Guaranteed Raw" )
  • "Suicidal Thoughts"
  • "Everyday Struggle"
  • "It's a Demo"(the film credits list this as the title, although the track appears on the soundtrack under the name "Microphone Murderer" )
  • "Pimps & Macs"
  • "Party and Bullshit"
  • "Machine Gun Funk"
  • "Unbelievable"
  • "Juicy"
  • "Flava in Ya Ear"
  • "Big Poppa"
  • "Warning"
  • "I Love the Dough"
  • "Get Money"
  • "Gimme the Loot"
  • "Who Shot Ya?"
  • "Sky's the Limit"

Reception

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Box office

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Notoriousopened on January 16, 2009, in 1,638 venues. The film earned $20,497,596 in its first weekend, ranking fourth in the domestic box office behind newcomerPaul Blart: Mall Cop,holdoverGran Torino,and other newcomerMy Bloody Valentine 3D.[13]The film closed on April 2, having grossed $36,843,682 in the domestic box office (US/Canada) and $7,528,069 internationally for a worldwide total of $44,371,751.[2]

Critical reaction

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OnRotten Tomatoes,the film has an approval rating of 52% based on 145 reviews, with an average rating of 5.57/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "A biopic that lacks the luster of its subject,Notoriousis generic rise-and-fall fare that still functions as a primer for those less familiar with the work and life of the hip hop icon. "[14]AtMetacriticthe film has a score of 60 out of 100, based on 32 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[15]

Roger Ebertgave the film three and a half out of four stars, applauding the film focusing on Christopher Wallace and not his rapping persona.[16]

Criticism by Lil' Kim

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Lil' Kimwas unhappy about the promiscuous manner in which she's portrayed in the film, saying, "Regardless of the many lies in the movie and false portrayal of me to help carry a storyline through, I will still continue to carry his legacy through my hard work and music." She felt the producers were more interested in her "character" than her. Lil' Kim's scenes in the film contained a significant amount of nudity and sexuality.[17]The film's producers, including Voletta Wallace, downplayed her comments.[18]Purportedly, producers attempted to get Lil' Kim's input during production but she never returned calls.[citation needed]Producers went with stories from Wallace's friends of how she and Wallace met.

Home media

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Notoriouswas released onBlu-RayandDVDon April 21, 2009. In the first three weeks, about 858,000 DVD units had been sold, bringing in $19.5 million in revenue.[19][20]

See also

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References

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  1. ^"Notorious(15) ".BBFC.January 19, 2009.RetrievedAugust 18,2015.
  2. ^abc"Notorious (2009)".Box Office Mojo.Internet Movie Database.April 3, 2009.RetrievedAugust 18,2015.
  3. ^"ANWAN GLOVER - SAG-AFTRA".Robert's Artist Management.
  4. ^Kym Balthazar (February 26, 2007)360 We Gon' Make ItArchivedJanuary 22, 2009, at theWayback MachineXXL.Accessed November 28, 2007.
  5. ^abDirector Selected for Biggie Biopic, Diddy to Executive ProduceArchivedJanuary 18, 2008, at theWayback MachineXXL(August 13, 2007). Accessed November 28, 2007.
  6. ^"Read Today's Press Release on NOTORIOUS | Fox Searchlight".Archived fromthe originalon February 3, 2009.RetrievedJanuary 16,2009.atFox Searchlight Pictures.Retrieved on 2009-01-16.
  7. ^Melena Ryzik (October 8, 2007)Dreaming Big About Acting BigNY Times.Accessed November 28, 2007.
  8. ^Beanie Sigel Auditions for Role of Biggie Smalls in New BiopicArchivedJanuary 18, 2008, at theWayback MachineXXL(October 3, 2007). Accessed November 28, 2007.
  9. ^Sean Kingston: Big, But Not B.I.G.ArchivedNovember 5, 2007, at theWayback MachineVibe(August 30, 2007). Accessed November 28, 2007.
  10. ^Emily K. Alhadeff (September 17, 2013)."Rapper Nissim Black Has a Spiritual Message for the Hip-Hop World".Tablet.RetrievedAugust 14,2015.
  11. ^Brooklyn Rapper Gravy to Play Biggie in Upcoming BiopicArchivedMarch 10, 2008, at theWayback MachineXXL(March 6, 2008). Accessed March 6, 2008.
  12. ^Gravy for BiggieJoblo(March 6, 2008). Accessed March 6, 2008.
  13. ^"Weekend Box Office Results for January 16-18, 2009".Box Office Mojo.Internet Movie Database.January 19, 2009.RetrievedAugust 18,2015.
  14. ^"Notorious (2009)".Rotten Tomatoes.Fandango.RetrievedJune 1,2020.
  15. ^"Notorious (2009) Reviews".Metacritic.CBS Interactive.RetrievedApril 26,2020.
  16. ^"Notorious movie review & film summary (2009) | Roger Ebert".
  17. ^"TV Guide".TVGuide.Archived fromthe originalon March 30, 2010.
  18. ^AP Press Statement VideoonYouTube
  19. ^"Notorious (2009) - Financial Information".The-numbers.RetrievedOctober 6,2017.
  20. ^Notorious Blu-ray Release Date April 21, 2009,retrievedOctober 12,2020
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