The reviews for the Notorious B.I.G. biopic, Notorious are coming in. Right now it has a 53% at rottentomatoes.com. Click the links below to read several reviews. fhh will have a review up this weekend.
New York Times: So “Notorious” settles into a curious comfort zone; it’s half pop fable, half naturalistic docudrama. Not a bad movie, but nowhere near as strong as its soundtrack. It does not explain its hero so much as revel in the memory of his many selves, teasing the audience with a promise of intimacy and understanding much as Biggie himself did, but without the same seductive payoff. The film’s tag line could be one of Biggie Smalls’s riddling, irresistible refrains: If you don’t know, now you know.
It’s All Reel: For those who are true Biggie fans and followed his path when he was alive, and then read all the articles and watched the numerous documentaries on his life, there’s nothing new that ‘Notorious’ offers. All of the East Coast-West Coast drama is told through the perspective of Biggie, with some help from Lil’ Cease. There’s no new discovery on his death, but director Tillman has put together an exciting tale of one of the greatest rappers, and many will be pleased when they leave the theater. Your only regret will be that Big’s life should have been longer.
E! Online: If you’re expecting a remake of Hitchcock’s classic of the same name, then you’re in for a big, er B.I.G. surprise. And a pleasant one, ’cause this rapper flick is for real.
EFilmCritic: This is a disappointingly conventional film that offers up all the key moments of B.I.G’s life and a lot of his music but which fails at making the case for the ultimate importance of either one.
Notorious opens today in theaters across nationwide. What did you think of the film?
