That was a pretty cool write up about the movie. I have a different feel about it though. Granted, it's been about 2 weeks since I saw it, which is really like 2 months in my mind but outside of the facts she spoke of, the actors, the book it's based on, the story line, I would probably describe it as a movie for those that remember the 'Golden Age' of hip hop, when New York ruled the hip hop world. This film was a time capsule for those that remember what it was like to get the hot new Clue mixtape (and it really being a tape cassette),when we wore hockey jerseys and BET and MTV played videos. Being taken back to that time made me feel slightly aged as half of the members of the capacity filled movie theater in North jersey that I saw the flick at couldn't remember hip hop sans The Notorious B.I.G.This movie, for what it was, a loosely based biopic of one of the great musical legends of our time is what I would call, a Hip Hop Musical. I understand the purpose, but I swear there must've been 10 plus songs played or rapped from the bedroom scene with Lil' Kim (for the record, I understand why she would have been mad at the film....*) to the concert seen at HU....the Real HU, Imight add....from beginning to the end, I was stuck in my seat, with the most enjoyable of company watching Big struggle with finding his place in life,becoming a man and realizing what was and wasn't important. (While also being painted as a saint that loved and cared for Tupac like a brother,would've broken Faith's neck if he caught her after hearing Pac's jabs, crack selling to pregnant women, loving his mother and close circle of friends like they were his first born...well, in the toddler part of herlife...) As my eyes were glued to the screen, thinking, Derek Luke can't dance like Puff....I prayed for a different ending. Something, somewhere in side of me, I hoped that Biggie would survive the gunshots. Knowing how things would end, I was pleasantly surprised when I saw the 'real' footage ofBiggie's last ride through Brooklyn. That was a moment frozen in time that plays in my mind forever. The celebration of a life that touched so many....I mean, when was the last time you saw your favorite rapper walk the streets from where he came and hand out watches...?!B.I.G. was an icon and this movie was for me...and you and for all the other hip hop loyalist that fell out of love with her a while ago, needed a reminder of what those days were like or just wanted to be entertained for a few hours.Regardless, this was our movie, only shown in less than 1500 theaters, but still made more money on a per theater basis than the three that finished higher on the opening week grossing list. We still have a long way to go when two Holocaust related films come out, Valkyrie and Defiance, and we won't see that many Black faces on another movie until Tyler Perry releases something new. But, for those few hours, reliving the 90's again was dope! (had to take it back...I was gonna go with fresh, but saying dope, then folding your arms over your chest with the sideways stance was the ish back in the day!!!)* anyone that knows a real guy, one that feels like he can't do no wrong,young and feeling like he's on top of the world should know the dilemma that they deal with from trying to be straight forward and honest, but also enjoyingevery minute of being in the limelight and getting that attention that youalways wanted. I mean, it was BIG himself who said, 'shit don't ask me,I went from ashy to nasty to classy...' I say all that to say that Kim Jones should be pissed for the way she was portrayed in this movie. This movie was made with the Wallace estate in mind, not Kimberly Jones...and who really wants to tell Christopher Jr that his daddy was married to Faith but was in love with Lil Kim....personally and for the record, I wasn't there, but I think that it was so much more than a artist/talent, no emotion involved relationship...especially after seeing Mary having to comfort Kim in those pictures the day of the funeral.
