Movie Review: All Eyez On Me

By Lillie Almond

All Eyez on Me, a biopic about Tupac Shakur, follows his rise to fame, his highs and lows, his time with Death Row Records, and some intimate facets of his love life.

By taking you on so emotional a journey, the production raises questions about the sincerity of its dramatic nature- is it all a bit cliche? The film is littered with countless shots of the iconic, Tupac head-tilt, and fuzzy, God-like scenes in which he hands money to the poor. He is shown declining drugs, staring into beacons of light, looking out for others, always honouring his commitments, passionate about perfectionism, and being deeply emotional in his relationships. These things are all probably true, to an extent.

Though Demetrius Shipp Jr’s giant smile feels on point and convincing, the acting is sometimes overdone (Kat Graham), and this bleeds into the rest of the film, therein making other variable details slightly more questionable too. Nevertheless, if you want to cry, there is definitely room to do so: the heartbreaking scenes aren’t scarcely placed.

The director, Benny Boom, layers every peak and trough with singles from Tupac’s most popular album. Every song compliments the moment well, always proving a fitting, insightful soundtrack to the moment depicted. Boom’s choice couldn’t be anymore reminiscent of the 90’s- and was somewhat inevitable- he wasn’t going to paste Snoop’s records all over the movie, was he? Even California Love is dropped at the most apt moment, and is woven seamlessly into the (slightly) music-videoesque movie.

A warm, positive portrayal of Tupac and his serial charming nature, the film honours his lyrical aptitude and vibrant character. And, yes, Boom maintained integrity in presenting the scene of Tupac’s death: the question mark lives on, accuracy as far as we know it was maintained, no blame was placed. The film represented the fact that some secrets and realities die with the person who carried them, and will forever remain mysteries in their legacy.

As to if the entire production feels a bit contrived, only the man himself could truly say- and as that’s not an option, it’s worth taking a look to decide for yourself.