Notorious Image
Notorious
Fox Searchlight Pictures
Release Date:
Metascore
60
Based on
32 Critics
User Score
5.6
Based on
72 Ratings
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Summary Back to top
In just a few short years, Notorious B.I.G. rose from the streets of Brooklyn to become one of the most influential hip hop artists of all time. B.I.G. was a gifted storyteller; his narratives about violent life on the streets were told with a gritty, objective realism that won him enormous respect and credibility. His stories were universal and gave a voice to his generation. (Fox Searchlight)
Starring: ,
Director:
Genre(s): Biography, Drama, Music
Rating: R
Runtime: 122 min
Home Release Date: Apr 21, 2009
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Critic Reviews Back to top
Positive:
18
Mixed:
12
Negative:
2
88
Chicago Sun-Times
Roger Ebert
A good film in many ways, but its best achievement is the casting of Jamal Woolard, a rapper named Gravy, in the title role.
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80
New York Daily News
Elizabeth Weitzman
Layering his film with the songs that made his subject an icon, Tillman is aware that Biggie connected with his audience because he told stories others instantly understood. Notorious does that, too.
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75
Premiere
Jenni Miller
Angela Bassett is great as his strict, single mother; The soundtrack is great, of course, and the ending features moving archival footage of the streets of Brooklyn after Wallace's murder.
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63
USA Today
Claudia Puig
Notorious is like a piece of well-crafted bling. It looks good, and facets of it shine, but behind the gilded facade there's not much there. And what is there can be troubling and retrogressive.
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50
Village Voice
Robert Wilonsky
Notorious, despite its bigger-than-life subject and habit of dripping sex sweat at the most unexpected moments, is rather square.
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50
Portland Oregonian
Shawn Levy
What the picture doesn't do is make sense of the world it tries to depict, or even, truly, depict it. Biggie -- and, for that matter, Woolard -- deserved better.
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30
Film Threat
Pete Vonder Haar
Absent the actual music, Notorious would be a lot worse.
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User Reviews Back to top
Positive:
8
Mixed:
10
Negative:
4
10
AshleyM.
Jan 17, 2009
I am a Big Biggie Fan and I know he died at the end but the movie move me so much to tears! He went before his time! I will always love Big Poppa!
8
HenryF.
Jan 31, 2009
This movie really showed me how a person with real talent can grow up in the worst situations, and still end up at the top, no matter what. This movie really showed me how a person with real talent can grow up in the worst situations, and still end up at the top, no matter what. 8/10 for Notorious.… Expand
8
ydnar4
Aug 27, 2014
There is some room for improvement in this movie but that didn't keep me from truly enjoying it. I watched this not knowing a thing about theThere is some room for improvement in this movie but that didn't keep me from truly enjoying it. I watched this not knowing a thing about the Notorious B.I.G and I did not feel lost at any part in the movie. It is also a movie about music that actually contains a good amount of music from that artist. I'm thinking about checking out biggie after watching this movie.… Expand
6
Sasha
Jan 16, 2009
The actor has a resemblance to Biggie, but is missing the lazy eyes. The story leaves out the murders Biggie committed and the movie serves The actor has a resemblance to Biggie, but is missing the lazy eyes. The story leaves out the murders Biggie committed and the movie serves to prop him up as a hero instead of understand the true evil behind the man. That said, evaluating this movie not from a historically accurate lens allows us to see that a good film, with good acting exists on camera. Maybe it should just be fiction.… Expand
6
bryans
Jan 18, 2009
A mixture of a hastily cut together rememberings of The Notorious and Cloverfield. Half of the movie i had no idea what was going on because A mixture of a hastily cut together rememberings of The Notorious and Cloverfield. Half of the movie i had no idea what was going on because the camera would be shaking so heavily you weren't sure what was going on. The movement of the film seemed like they were only bigs afterthoughts to his life. a cheesy and bad voice over job did what little progression the movie showed. in some of the later scenes you couldn't tell if it was 17 year old christopher wallace or 24 year old B.I.G. overall this movie was just above decent. Definitely not what i wanted to see about one of my favorite rappers.… Expand
5
JayH
Apr 18, 2009
The performances are excellent, but as a biography, it seems like the director had too much footage and threw together scenes resulting in a The performances are excellent, but as a biography, it seems like the director had too much footage and threw together scenes resulting in a story which only scratches the surface of the title character. Too much is squeezed into an already too long two hour time frame. Perhaps a more skillful director could have pulled it all together.… Expand
0
John
Jan 17, 2009
A bad film.Notorious is bored.
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