Heart throb, never, black and ugly as ever however, I stay Gucci down to the socks -Notorious B.I.G. "One More Chance (Remix)"
Yeah, it's real and it's coming. I knew about this film two years ago when I interviewed Biggie's mother, Voletta Wallace, at a book signing she had at Karibu books in PG Plaza mall. At the time, they were still working out the script and the casting but she did tell me it was coming.
After taking a look at the trailer, the film looks promising. Music biopics are usually either really good (The Jacksons: An American Dream, What's Love Got To Do With It?, Ray) or really bad (Get Rich or Die Tryin'). I'm keeping my fingers crossed that "Notorious" falls into the former group. But there are a few casting choices that trouble me about the film so far.
Derek Luke has been cast in the role Sean "Puffy" Combs which, on its face, seems to be an odd choice. Luke is known for being a more quiet, thoughtful actor and his roles for the most part have been complex, smart ones. (Minus "Biker Boyz" which he must have taken on during a cerebral recess) Puffy is the opposite of everything quiet and thoughtful, he's braggadocious personified. But perhaps this could be a breakout role for Luke much like "Training Day" was for Denzel Washington.
Producers decided to go with Naturi Naughton, the girl who was kicked out of 3LW (you probably don't even remember who or what 3LW was), to play Lil' Kim. The girl has a paper-thin resume as far as serious acting roles go, and I hope that she's up to the task of taking on Lil' Kim's larger-than-life personality. She's gonna have to out-slut and out-vamp the Queen Bee. Can sweet lil' Naturi from 3LW handle that? We'll have to wait and see.
Then there's young man, Jamal Woolard, playing the lead role. Woolard is a fresh-faced actor with "Notorious" essentially being his breakout role. I'm glad that they went with an unknown for the lead role rather than Sean Kingston, as was rumored, because most of the time with biopics that have stars as the lead, you tend to be distracted from the story by the familiar face. "Ray," starring Jamie Foxx, being the exception to that role.
Speaking of familiar faces, they decided to cast Angela Bassett as Voletta Wallace. WTF? Angela Bassett looks NOTHING like Voletta Wallace. But I guess I shouldn't be surprised. Whenever Hollywood needs someone to play a black mother to a black musician, they call up Angela Bassett.
Despite some of these misgivings, I know I'll be going to see Biggie's theatrical debut. His (short) life story is defnitely one of the more compelling ones in Hip hop.
