Angela Bassett plays Voletta Wallace, Christopher’s mom. Angela was handpicked by the real Voletta to play her. She’s a stoic, unwavering force in the film, the true anchor in Christopher’s life that keeps him grounded even when he’s facing untold fortunes after he makes it big in the rap business.
Notorious is an inside look at one of the most well-known rappers of all time. It’s not glitzy or glamorous, but it is a true to life depiction of the one and only Notorious B.I.G.
The Quality
Notorious is presented in a 2:35:1 aspect ratio. This 1080p transfer is as detailed and as colorful as they come. Filmed on location in Brooklyn, this high-def transfer really brings the city to life. The detail of the brickwork, pavement, and surrounding buildings makes you feel like you’re walking the streets of Brooklyn in 1983. Being the '80s, we are subjected to a lot of browns and dark oranges. These colors appear rich and clear every time. There are a few scenes featuring thick smoke that curls up through the air and hangs above the actors like a dense cloud. The rings and swirls of the smoke are completely defined and almost hypnotic to watch at times.
With its DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless soundtrack Notorious is one of the easiest to critique. It presents the dialogue well and clearly through the front channels, but when it is called upon to perform during the concert scenes it becomes a force of bass beats that may rattle the walls. The deep bass from the hip-hop songs is the most enjoyable part of this soundtrack. Make sure you have your subwoofer cranked up. When the bass starts thumping you’ll feel like you’re front row at a rap concert.
The Special Features
The Notorious Blu-ray features both the theatrical version of the film and the director’s cut. The theatrical cut is 123 minutes, while the director’s cut is 129 minutes long. Because I never saw the film in theaters, and it doesn’t say anything on IMDB, I couldn’t tell you what the added footage actually is.
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