When the idea for the movie “Notorious” was first being reported, I was initially pretty fearful. I was scared the movie studio would try to make a low budget movie to make a few bucks.  Plus, I thought it would be nearly impossible to find someone who could play Biggie well. If the movie was done half assed, it would have been heartbreaking to me. Biggie and even Puffy have been important figures in my life. In some sense, I admit that is a silly thing for me, a Greek kid who grew up in a Boston suburb to say; but let me explain why they where important to me on a number of levels.  I never sold crack or had to deal with living in the projects, but I sure could relate to Biggie’s lyrics when he talk about not having a father around, struggling to pay for heat, or eating sardines for dinner at times to make ends meet. In addition, while I could not always relate to everything Biggie said, I loved the way he said it. I have always admired people poetic word play and no one in my life time wrote better lyrics than Christopher Wallace. 
     While it is not a vogue thing to say because most people like to mock Sean Combs for a variety of reasons, I have always been and till this day am a huge admirer of Puffy. No other public figure whether it be athlete, musician, politician, actor, businessperson or anything else have inspired me more in my life than Puffy. Puffy has always been a constant ball of energy who dabbles in a variety of ventures. That is part of the reason I write this blog, work as a teacher, volunteer for political organizations, write children’s books, take photos for web-sites, promote bands and artists I am friends with or admire, (check out vatchearabian.com/road-trip-for-obama/  and packardtoons.blogspot.com) take college classes, and am a landlord all at the same time; because I believe in the Puffy ethos of working hard and being involved in a wide array of shit. (and like puffy, I have a tendency to slur my words when I talk too fast and look kinda embarrassing when I dance) (on a double side note, I once got into a fight with my ex gf when we where visiting NY for the weekend because I insisted we go out of our way so I could take my picture outside the Bad Boy Entertainment office sign) 
     Now lets get back to the movie. It was done exceptionally well. The director George Tillman and writers Reggie Rock Bythewood and Cheo Hodari Coker tell the story that most people who are going to see the movie already know in a pretty straight forward way. It is the actors who nearly all do an amazing job which makes the movie. Jamal Woolard embodies the hulking presence, boyish charm, witty,  and occasional angry biggie. The best scenes in the movie don’t involve all the Tupac East/West Coast shit, but Biggie’s relationships with the various women in his life. Naturi Naughton and Antonique Smith not only look like Lil Kim and Faith Evans, but make you understand what Biggie Saw in them and what they saw in Biggie. Let us not also forget Julia Pace Mitchell who played Biggie first girlfriend/mother of his first child Jan. Even though, the movie was co-produced by Biggie’s mom, it does not gloss over the fact that Biggie was not always around for his children and his actions with the women in his life where not always admirable. Anchoring the cast are legendary Angela Bassett playing Biggie’s mom and Derek Luke who adds humor at times by doing Puffy’s twitchy mannerism and silly dance moves. 
     More than anything else upon leaving the movie, I could not help but realize how all these larger then life characters that Biggie, Puffy, Tupac, Kim, Faith, et al who defined a generation, where all kids. I don’t mean that to be demeaning; I am 25 years old, and I always joke that I am only a theoretical adult. Currently, I am older then all of those major players where when all the drama of this movie unfolds. I left the movie inspired by how much they all accomplished by that age and feeling depressed that the stories of Biggie and Pac where ended by such bullshit younger then I am today.