On DVD: 'Notorious'

'Notorius' (R) ***

Writers: Reggie Rock Bythewood and Cheo Hodari Coker
Director: George Tillman, Jr.
Starring: Jamal Woodard, Angela Basset, Derek Luke, Anthony Mackie, Antonique Smith, Naturi Naughton, Kevin Phillips, Marc John Jeffries, Christopher Jordan Wallace

"Notorious" is the real life story of Rap Icon Biggie Smalls and his rise and then fatal shooting due to a rap rivalry. Jamal Woodard gives a compelling and naturally engaging performance as Biggie as he goes from a life of drugs, to fame and then to a life of excess and danger. The movie is a little overlong and we have seen this story many times before but this has a slight edge because of it's subject. I Found Biggie as played by Woodard to be vulnerable, sweet sometimes and just a regular guy. Take away the rap career and the success and you have a normal and flawed man. He loves his mother and tries to be good to the women in his life but fails like others do. I found this movie interesting, well directed and acted and it kept my interest throughout. It covers Biggie's partnership with Sean Combs aka Puff Daddy, his romance with Lil Kim and Faith Evans and his at first friendly but then hostile relationship with Tupac Shakur that ends up in both of their deaths. The movie got me thinking about how sad that talented young black performers wind up getting killed just because of male bravado and poor communication. It kind of hit me as a parallel to what is happening in Chicago with teens getting killed for stupid reasons. Angela Basset is good as always as Biggie's mother, the actresses playing Kim and Evans are good and the story pulls us in and you don't even have to be a rap fan to enjoy it. "Notorious" is now available on DVD.