As a result, this allows for the reconstructions of the music videos to work well, transpiring in some of the film’s best moments. But while the more weightier scenes are a little beyond him, he captures the essence and mannerisms of Tupac to a tee. is an impressive one however, easing any initial apprehensions that derived from just how similar a resemblance he has to the musician, fearing he may have only been cast for this reason, and not for his acting credentials. Instead, no matter what trouble he got himself into, we tend to always take his side – he’s always blameless. Through conversation we do allow the rapper to respond to such allegations, but his flaws – of which there were many – are not studied quite enough, and to humanise the rapper we need to thrive in his imperfections. We do confront Tupac’s contradictions – how he used to speak so fervently about how he values women, and yet call them bitches, or how he preached peace on the streets – and got ‘Thug Life’ tattooed on his stomach. It also disallows the chance for character development – so when Tupac goes from being an opportunist rapper to being one of the most famous musicians on the planet, we don’t get a sense for that rise, nor how it had an impact on his personality.īoom can also be accused of being a little one-sided in his depiction of his subject. When you don’t cover any one topic substantially enough, nothing feels significant. Pick a certain relationship, be it with his mother, or with Biggie, and use that to build upon, to be emblematic of everything he stood for without the need to show us every move he makes.
Perhaps this biopic would have been improved had the filmmaker opted to focus in on a strand of Tupac’s life. If you take Selma, for example, some of the most engaging scenes weren’t when Martin Luther King was delivering a powerful speech, but when he was at home, just speaking candidly to his wife, as Ava DuVernay thrived in the notion of monotony – and it’s here you get more of a flavour for the character at the centre of the story. We have no time to stop and reflect, to display any subtlety, any of the more intimate moments that don’t necessarily have an impact on the narrative as such, but allow for us to emotionally invest in our protagonist. To cram everything in means the scenes are so short, and almost obliged to be dramatic. Feeling like a Wikipedia biopic, it seems Boom had the task of box ticking, ensuring each significant moment in the subject’s life has been covered – and there were many, despite how young he was when he was murdered. This decision to cover so much ground has backfired tremendously on this project. Santana), which sent Tupac on a downward spiral which culminated in his tragic death in 1996. As a result Tupac had several appearances in court, and a lengthy prison sentence – and yet it was his tumultuous relationship with fellow artist Biggie Smalls (Jamal Woolard) which ultimately led to the introduction of the mafia-style record label owner Suge Knight (Dominic L. The creatively inclined teenager was at first distraught to moving to the West coast – leaving behind his closest friend Jada Pinkett (Kat Graham), but it’s there his career blossomed, as his indelible performance style and raw lyrical prowess led to a record deal – and eventually, superstardom.īut to be powerful and black in America can make you a target, as the government and law enforcement fear ambition. Little does she know, she was soon to give birth to one of the most important voices of his generation, an activist, rapper and poet – Tupac Shakur (Demetrius Shipp Jr.). We begin at the very beginning, even surpassing the cradle-to-the-grave structure by first meeting the subject before he’s even born, as a pregnant Afeni Shakur (Danai Gurira) campaigns tirelessly for black rights. This was the sort of person Tupac was, and the person we rarely have the chance to encounter in this underwhelming production. Take Do For Love – he strips himself of that distinctive masculinity, and loses his dignity – it’s a song about being so deep in love he’s willing to forgive his partner for any wrongdoing.
It’s a shame this be the case, for Tupac was a unique hip hop artist, who put everything on the line. Effectively working as something of a mouthpiece for the director, or a disclaimer even, sadly it’s not a promise kept – as we struggle to get beyond the facade of the infamous performer. In the opening scene to Benny Boom’s Tupac Shakur biopic All Eyez on Me, we see the esteemed rapper tell a reporter, in prison, he wants his real story to be told – and the interviewer responds by assuring the hotheaded wordsmith he’ll do all he can.