8 Mile Movie
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Storyline
TAGLINES
Go back to where it all started.
Find Your Voice
Every moment is another chance.
Look, What if You Had One Chance to Seize Everything You Ever Wanted? Would You Capture it? Or Would You Let it Slip? [full trailer]
Every Moment is a Chance to Turn it Around.
Lose Yourself In the Music
If the streets had a voice, this would be the story they'd tell.
Helt Eminemt [Denmark]
A rap version of "Saturday Night Fever." B-Rabbit, a wannabe rapper from the wrong side of Detroit's 8 Mile, has problems: he dumps his girlfriend when she tells him she's pregnant; to save money to make a demo tape, he moves into his alcoholic mom's trailer; his job's a dead end, and he's just choked at the local head-to-head rap contest. Things improve when he meets Alex - an aspiring model headed for New York - and a fast-talking pal promises to set up the demo. Then new setbacks: Alex isn't faithful, mom rejects him, rifts surface with his friends, and he's mugged by rivals. Everything hinges on the next rap showdown at the club. Can B-Rabbit pull truth out of his cap?
| Eminem | Jimmy 'B-Rabbit' Smith, Jr. |
| Kim Basinger | Stephanie Smith |
| Mekhi Phifer | David 'Future' Porter |
| Brittany Murphy | Alex |
| Evan Jones | Cheddar Bob |
| Omar Benson Miller | Sol George |
| De'Angelo Wilson | DJ Iz |
| Eugene Byrd | Wink |
| Taryn Manning | Janeane |
| Larry Hudson | Bouncer |
| Proof | Lil' Tic |
| Mike Bell | Shorty Mike |
| DJ Head | Battle DJ |
| Michael Shannon | Greg Buehl |
| Chloe Greenfield | Lily Smith |
| Curtis Hanson |
6.60 out of 10 (29250 votes)
Visitor Reviews
Good Movie
posted on 26 Aug 2009This is a nice updated Hip Hop version of Rocky. I am a fan of Eminem as well but even considering that when i walked into the theater to check this out, i walked in with an open non biased mind. As a result my friend and i were not at all disappointed one ounce. I expected a much different style movie but what you have here is a stripped down in your face raw performance by Eminem and crew. See the movie if you are a fan of the Rocky genre. If u like an underdog story then check it out . Great performances from Basinger, Pfeiffer and Eminem. i give it an 8.
Interesting...
posted on 24 Aug 2009I rented this movie, knowing very little and expecting to see an auto-biographical portrayal of Eminem's life. Turns out I was wrong, but that did not make the movie any less interesting.Eminem did a fine job, for his first starring role. In fact, I may be interested enough to see a sequel, providing that the quality portrayed in this film is maintained.One character, however, criticized by many was Brittany Murphy's character, Alex. When I first saw her, I wondered how much she charges by the hour, if you catch my drift. Sure she looked hot, but she seemed to be out of Rabbit's league.One thing I asked myself throughout the movie was: being in the mid-90's, where are the Vanilla Ice jokes? Rabbit was certainly a prime candidate, at least in the first half of the movie.Normally, I am not one who watches dramas, but I found that I had enjoyed the movie and may add it to my collection. I gave it an 8 out of 10, solely based upon entertainment value.Now to compare this one to the other extreme, I eventually plan to see Jamie Kennedy in "Malibu's Most Wanted."
Very interesting
posted on 20 Aug 2009Eminem's debut performance was very strong and gritty. He won an Oscar for his song "Lose Yourself" and is one of the great talents of his generation. This movie realistically portrays the physical decay of urban areas such as Detroit that accompanies the rapid expansion of suburban areas. The rap battles central to the plot of the film are very interesting from an anthropological point of view. I first saw 8 Mile on 22 March, 2003, during the first week of America's illegal and immoral invasion of Iraq. What struck me strongly was that the characters in the film generally used words as weapons, instead of violence. Although impoverished, they are far more civilized than the current leaders of their country. We can only hope that more wise people like Eminem assume leadership roles around the world, in the future.
Great Film with Great Realism
posted on 14 Aug 2009Found this film very entertaining which had a great message to tell about the people who love rap music and the great talent it takes to perform with great style. Eminem, (Jimmy B-Rabbit-Smith Jr.) was well liked by many of his friends in Detroit, Michigan, who worked in an auto parts factory in plastic molding and at the same time was a very good young rapper. Rabbit had many white and black friends as well as an ex gal friend who told him she was pregnant and another Alex, (Brittany Murphy). Rabbit appeared at a rapper contest and when he got up on stage, he froze and was unable to utter a word, which made things bad for him and many people began to talk in bad ways about his being a very poor rapper with words and music. Kim Basinger, (Stephanie Smith) plays the role of Rabbit's mother who lives in a trailer and shows the fact that she has a bad life with her present boyfriend and never seems to have any money. Poor Rabbit has to put up with her boyfriend and at the same time care for his young sister who loves Rabbit very much. Enjoyed the great performance by Mekhi Phifer, (David "Future" Porter) who gave Rabbit all the support he needed to get a head of this music business. Great film, enjoy.
This is NO Purple Rain!
posted on 10 Aug 2009I really don't know why all the critics are slobbering on themselves over this movie. I'm not a fan of Eminem, but I don't hate him either. I guess I really just wanted more of the exciting rap battles and less of the "life of B.Rabbit". I mean, isn't that why people go to movies with musicians in them? Purple Rain was EXCITING... sure there were the "Prince's bad home life" scenes, and "Prince meets/gets/loses Appolonia" scenes... but there was also a lot of on-stage action from Prince, Appolonia 6, and The Time that makes Purple Rain a classic. 8 Mile is just too slow for the most part. No matter how great the last reel is, it doesn't make up for the lackluster majority of the film.
A good drama
posted on 08 Aug 2009"8 Mile" is one of those movies that will never be forgotten as time passes by. It is an entertainment milestone that tried hard to be fairly successful, and it succeeded.Eminem's acting in the film was pretty good, along with co-stars Brittany Murphy and Mekhi Phifer. Kim Basinger was OK too, though she had better roles in previous films.The musical scenes in the movie are a real treat for rap & hip hop fans, as well as R&B fans. There is also a handful of classic & old school hip hop songs playing in the backgrounds of certain scenes, which would definitely be good for the hip hop fans.The movie wasn't disappointing, but it wasn't so great either. It was a good film to see, and it's even better when you have the DVD with all its special features. However, don't expect this movie to be over-the-top, because it isn't. It's a well-made drama made in favor of hip hop.To conclude, I recommend this movie to all hip hop lovers. But if you don't like hip hop, then just rent the movie and see if you like it.I give the movie a 7/10
A solid movie. Nothing more.
posted on 02 Aug 2009For the same people who bashed Eminem for his music and now say that he may garner an Oscar for his role as a struggling rap artist, he won't. For the same people who loved LA Confidential scratching their heads as to why an acclaimed director such as Curtis Hanson would jump into the mainstream, you'll like it, or admire it, at the least.Once again, like in all my reviews, I will not write up the plot because you can read everyone else's reviews. Eminem will not, I repeat, will NOT get an Oscar nomination for his role as Jimmy Smith Jr, the young repressed white male struggling as a rapper. His character is three-dimensional, he's layered, full of emotions...but aren't all good characters supposed to have these qualities? Still, you won't be able to find Eminem anywhere in this performance. The performance stands out from many performances this year. I'd be really surprised if he didn't at least get a Golden Globe nomination.Curtis, Curtis, Curtis. After the dissapointing box office that was "Wonder Boys", you decide to hop on the mainstream train to riches by casting one of the most popular properties in America...Shame on you...Just kidding. Watching the film, you can see how much Curtis fights the mainstream with the grainy cinematography, mug locations, and subject matter. Alas, if any other unknown was to star in this film, it would be of little to no interest of the movie going public.
Hanson nontheless shows us a gritty portrayl of life on the streets. Where hope is just a dream and living a simplistic life is a reality. Mainstream movie? I think not. The rest of the cast is more or less supporting Jimmy in this coming of age story, but they're all solid. I understand many wanted to see Jimmy succeed in getting a record deal, but they're missing the point. It isn't traveling down that formulaic road. That wasn't the point. He just showed that with a little confidence in yourself, you could do just about anything. The movie was about Jimmy having the courage to take the first step. A true inspiration. As far as him getting a record deal? Doesn't happen for all of us, but that first step could.Using rap as a major subject in a movie is like the kiss of death -- most of us could care less for it. But it grabs you from the opening scene and continuously gets in your ears until the end credits, so when Jimmy's freestyling at a battle, it doesn't seem out of place.This is nothing more than a good, solid movie that doesn't break any new ground in the drama genre, but sometimes all we need is an inspirational movie to help us through life.
The psyche of a star.
posted on 31 Jul 2009Eminem could have taken an easy road. He could have costarred in the latest Steven Seagal flick, or done a cameo for the Farrelly Brothers' next movie. He could have cashed in on anything he wanted to with his first movie, but he chose something a little more challenging than that.'8 Mile', named for the road that is the northern border between Detroit and the suburbs, is loosely autobiographical, shaped around the events of an up-and-coming rapper named Jimmy "Rabbit" Smith Jr. (Eminem). Rabbit has to balance working for a living at Detroit Stamping with his dreams of a rap career and an escape from the trailer park he calls home with his mother (Kim Basinger) and little sister Lilly. At night, he cruises the city in his beat-up car with his friends, the 313 crew (named for Detroit's area code). One of the 313 is Future (Mekhi Phifer), who organizes rap 'battles' downtown, where young MC's square off against each other with stylized insults and rhymes - winner gets all the respect.The film starts with Rabbit psyching himself up for one of these battles, showing none of the anger and cockiness that the real-life Eminem is so known for. Rabbit is unsure of himself, knowing he has talent but intimidated by the forceful personalities that surround him and not quite ready to burst out of his shell and let the world know who he is. Even standing on stage, mic in hand and silent, hearing the boos and calls of 'Choke!', you can see that Eminem the actor has something here, a sense of character that isn't just him playing himself. It's an intensity and a force of personality that is waiting for an outlet and he keeps it smoldering throughout the movie.Director Curtis Hanson (L.A. Confidential) keeps the film flowing as sidebars and challenges arise that twist Rabbit in the wind. His mother's boyfriend is a complete waste and not much older than he is. Money is always an issue. An opportunity for free studio time arises, but with strings attached. A muse of sorts (Brittany Murphy, elegantly trashy here) wanders into his life at just the right time. And finally, another rap battle against his rivals, in the same place he choked before. By the time he takes the mic again, the audience has seen his long, hard climb to this point. Opportunity is there, all he has to do is seize it.And seize it he does - the final rap battle brings the house down. Eminem finally lets loose with the skills we all know he has into a series of cathartic rhymes, taking on all comers. The last rap, where he takes all the bad things people have said about him and uses them to build himself back up, is pure genius and pure adrenaline. By the time all is said and done, Rabbit walks off into the distance on his own - with all the confidence he'll ever need.Hanson and screenwriter Scott Silver make some good choices here. Eminem's real-life controversial attitudes towards gays and violence is muted with Rabbit to the point where he befriends and sticks up for a gay coworker. The final scenes aren't the big payoffs - the record deals, the demos, the sold-out concerts - but instead are personal victories. Phifer and Basinger do creditable jobs of building up and supporting Eminem's inexperience as an actor and help carry the film through.It's a worthy debut, and a movie to take seriously. '8 Mile' is gritty, honest, and rewarding.
Not as good as I expected
posted on 29 Jul 2009I am a HUGE Eminem fan...and this movie wasn't nearly what I expected. First of all, the plot was stupid. Eminem's character spends 151 minutes trying to succeed in the rap world. Come On! People say that this is an inspiring film? For whom, wanna-be rappers? And the relationship he develops with Brittany Murphy's character is unrealistic as well. She said in the movie that she has a good feeling about him. And she had only met him two scenes before she said that. How could someone believe in someone that fast? It just didn't make sense. Do not get me wrong, Eminem and Brittany are really good actors, but the dumb plot and high amount of swearing & violence cannot carry this film. In my opinion, maybe this film would have been better with a more realistic plot, less violence and less swearing (Especially with out any usage of the 'N' word.) Other Eminem fans may enjoy this film, but I didn't think his movie debut was anything to rap about!
Cute girls like that don't like dangerous boys like that.
posted on 21 Jul 2009I spent my early childhood in the hood, moved to upper middle class for my latter teenage years, went back to the 'hood' at 18 for a brief while, and now live in suburbia with the picket fence and "beautiful people' family. However, I am also now a cop, working in the hood and see/care-about/talk-to/fight-with the inner city inhabitants on a daily basis. This movie did nothing to capture even an iota of the real grit of the hood. Movies more than a decade older than 8 mile did a much better job at capturing this grit (New Jack City, 1991) (Boyz in the Hood, 1991). This movie was hard to 'get into' and the plot was decidedly blasé.But I want to get on a soapbox for moment about the gangsta lifestyle. The character "Mekhi" depicted by Brittany Murphy is a cute, sweet, genuine, pure hearted girl that looks like she's straight out of Bel Air. Give me a break. I've got news for the casting directors and writers of 8 Mile: cute, sweet, genuine, pure-hearted girls with a sweet innocent and demure laugh like Mekhi's don't hang out with no life having, "I'm so full of myself' exhibiting, gangsta emulating, disrespectful thug wannabe's who think it's cool and 'big' to talk trash to each other and exude the same traits as a wayward identity-searching Goth teen. Girls like that are girls like that because they grow up AWAY from crap like that. While there is the occasional cute girl in the hood, or the occasional sweet girl, or shy girl, or 'thinking' girl, or 'solidly grounded with both feet' girl, you would be extremely hard pressed to find one with all the traits that "Mehki' has *and* who prefers the company of the personality/behavioral types depicted in 8 mile.In fact, I think it's the writer's way of having his cake and eating it too. Getting a chance to glorify a portion of inner city reduced-frontal-brain angst *and* pretend like that kind of hood life is so 'regular' that it can produce "Beverly hills' type sweet cute girls who don't flinch when the driver of the hoopty car they are in almost hits an on coming car head on, or look at the abandon house that has just been criminally burned down by her 'friends' and say in a soft, cutely broken voice out of a Disney movie: "It looks so beautiful". Give me a break. I think it bugs me most that some teenaged gangsta wannabe's who watch this will think they can be disrespectful, angst ridden, closed off, dangerous, and have a chip on their shoulder *and* can get a girl like that. Shyeah.M
Really, one of the best musicals I've ever seen.
posted on 15 Jul 2009I will say this, despite my reputation for hating popular movies (look at my other reviews!) I have to say that 8 Mile ranks right up there as one of the best movies I've ever seen. Certainly it's one of my favorite musicals, even though it REALLY doesn't count as a musical per se. Eminem stars as a rapper trying to Make It Big while facing, oh you know, the White Trash Blues, eg, living in a trailer park, a next to nothing job, Kim Basinger etc etc. The only thing the of course keeps his motivated is his music, and trying to make it big in Detroit. Although he is quite talented, a lot of red tape stands in his way, eg, power hungry producers, gang members, Gillian Murphy, etc etc. What an amazing debut Eminem gives here. I guess since this is partly geographical, Mathers was able to put some of his own life into the character, but, with the glut of rap stars now appearing on the silver screen, Mathers is one definite standout. It will be interesting to see how he takes on a completely different character role (like he is rumoured for in the 'Have Gun Will Travel' movie).
'Karate Kid' + 'FlashDance' only with Rap.
posted on 11 Jul 2009*** very, very mild spoilers ***Now onto this movie: I liked it. But unless you are a fan of hiphop first, I can't see how you'd fully appreciate it. There's ALOT of Rap in this movie. They rap EVERYWHERE...on line for lunch, while fixing cars, on their way to clubs etc. I think it realistically depicted the underground hip-hop scene(where 'battles' and 'ciphers' abound). Although, in real life-it's far more intense. Now some may see this as a straight Great White Hope type movie where the white guy triumphs at the end. But others, more accurately I think, see this as a Race Doesn't Matter if you're sincere type movie. But hey, Bottom Line: if you're a fan of a ROCKY-style 'loser-becomes-winner-by-not-giving-up' flick: check out 8-mile.
An absolute inspiration, Eminem did a great acting job.
posted on 11 Jul 2009This movie is an absolute inspiration. And I think it does deserve an award. For his ways, Marshall Mathers (Eminem) can act quite well. I was impressed. The movie took me to places I had never been. But the movie isn't about his life, contrary to popular belief. He didn't live in a trailor and he didn't get into fights with his mom. In the song "Cleanin Out My Closet", he apologizes and now has a healthy relationship with her. His character in the movie named Jimmy may have an attitude, but it's different from his attitude in real life. I loved 8 Mile and I would watch it again and again. It's a great film.
The Anticritic Reviews 8 Mile
posted on 05 Jul 2009**Warning, may contain spoilers, I try never to use any but there may be accidental ones in my reviews**8 Mile (2002)By Trevor Stevens (The Anti Critic) 11-22-2002OVERVIEW:The breakthrough vehicle for rap artist Eminem and a chance for Curtis Hanson to prove that he can make quality movies just like he did with L.A. Confidential. Hype galore and a trailer reminiscent of other rap star films would make anyone think this movie bombs. The story involves Eminem playing his quasi self (No matter what they say, this is a movie based on em's past, official or not) who is a struggling white collar worker in Detroit who gets a chance to move up by entering in the local rap battles and milks his chance for what it's worth.PROS:Brittany Murphy - Extremely sexy in a trashy skanky sort of way. She always lights up the screen every time she's on it. Playing both a muse and sex object, she doesn't get much screen time, but it's probably for the better because if she was up there too long the screen would melt, ok ok I'll stop. Brittany Murphy - Extremely sexy in a trashy skanky sort of way. She always lights up the screen every time she's on it. Playing both a muse and sex object, she doesn't get much screen time, but it's probably for the better because if she was up there too long the screen would melt, ok ok I'll stop.Kim Basinger - Working again with the director that got her the Oscar she deserved and turning in a fine performance as the frenetic mother of Eminem.Eminem - Great job is all I can say. I admit he is playing a role that is a direct caricature of himself so he doesn't have to stretch his acting muscles, but just watch a certain scene which involves him standing up to Kim Basinger and showing he can play a tug of war for scene chewing with Kim and you'll see what I mean.Mekhi Phifer - Odd but endearing performance from one of the better black actors in Hollywood. Reminiscent of his role from Hell's Kitchen with Angelina Jolie, and that's a good thing.Reality - Loved the gritty look of (what I would guess) is the real streets of Detroit. Every scene had a dark and bleak look to it, which went well with the drama throughout cause it set a good somber mood.Rap battles - Great and I wish there was more of them, but I understand they wanted to support the characters and story more. Not only the rap battles, but the occasional freestyles (although scripted) that appear from random people are fun to watch as well. Almost seems like a sub language and sure as hell beats ebonics.CONS (not what I hated, but what others might not like and need to know):Sex - yes there is sex, but it's not very graphic, you see Kim Basinger's and Brit Murphy's behinds.Language - Yes, lots of language throughout, this is an urban movie after all. I would say a little more than average for a movie, but not to the point of being gratuitous.Violence - The fighting in this film is more verbal than physical, but there are some semi-brutal beatings and a comical scene involving a gun.OTHER:Janeane - An apparent part of the story disappears for huge chunks at a time, more odd then anything.Brittany Murphy - I was hoping to finally see some nudity from her, although this would be an odd movie to `debut' that on, she was in two different sex scenes, and the most that happens is Eminem gets to grab some luscious rump..oh well, one of these days she'll turn around.Memorable - My personal favorite `rap star' movie, I also like watching Ice Cube when he does serious roles, but I'm talking solely about movies that involve rap stars rapping. I would like to see Em try other acting endeavors.Ignore your bias - Just cause this movie involves Eminem, don't toss it to the side just because it stars him and you hate him and his music, that would be a bad move in my opinion and no it does not play out like a 2 hr music video and you will be seeing a real dramatic and not MTVish movie.Disclaimer: Remember as always, I do not intend to criticize, but give you information as an informed viewer. Critics look too much for flaws and refuse to just enjoy most of the time. As such, I do not rate movies as they all have merit of their own and I almost without exception like every movie I watch.
8 Mile Good Drama and Best Yet for Eminem
posted on 29 Jun 2009Eminems first movie 8 Mile serious made in detroit {1995} with rappers and hustlers Eminem is Jimmy Smith Jr and Battle freestyles and trys to make it big. he works in a Car shop and has alot of friends backing him as he fresstyes with others rapper.His mom played by kim basinger didnt think them eminem is going to make it and his girlfriend alex played by Brittnay Murphy think jimmy is is going to be good.Eminems never ever gives up in this movie I would say go see it
Sounds true: that's big enough yet
posted on 29 Jun 2009The story itself is not thoroughly interesting or deeply engaging. But it's well directed, well paced and the focus is really well thought. In fact there was much worse to be feared as a vehicle for Eminem.People living and craving for hope in gloomy suburbs will find it even more engaging but for the others it will simply sound true as nothing seems to be too obviously cinematographically challenged.Anyway if the comparison makes sense to you let's say Eminem's albums are much better than 8 mile alone.
Walking down 8 Mile Road
posted on 29 Jun 2009Warning! Content of this commentary is absolutely weak in its grammatical aspect, because it's author is Russian, lives in Russia and is just a 16-year old boy. If you look through this new 50 Cent's piece of… let's say hip-hop movie (be accurate - watching it may cause some mental disease), you can remind 8 Mile and say to yourself, that Hanson's film could be much worse. Of course you can also say that this project would never happen if Eminem hasn't been so popular. But he has, so this movie inevitably happened (just like Get Rich or Die Trying'). And first of all it's a film about rap and it's an Em's biography. But Curtis Hanson is the man. He didn't try to catch the whole rap history, not even tried to shoot the part of it. He only made very good Hollywood drama about… maybe we can say lose cannons - white people (B-Rabbit, Cheddar Bob) of hip-hop, and about modern (still, though 10 years had passed) juveniles. And he completed this mission. He worked like a good spy - for two different sides, categories of people. I mean this movie is interesting to both hardcore rap fans and 'normal' people (sorry for such classification, I pretend to be a rap fan myself). It works because we have, the first, a strong dramatic line (our hero 'lost himself') and love story (despite it's rapper style), the second, a good atmosphere of the hood (but there's nothing good in it really). And what (who) makes this film great is Em. There were so much pros and cons, arguments and battles (even in Russia) about his acting ability (or maybe possibility), but he had done the job as good as he could and even better, especially during his rap episodes. Having no problems with acting, he also perfectly shows emotions through his texts. But even if he had some, actors around him were ready to help the star with their considered performance. The only thing that decreases my final mark is, as I was saying, Hollywood production. Curtis Hanson is still the man, but I don't understand why he decided to restrict his actions by creating the proper atmosphere and chemistry. 8 Mile is too standard with such photography and edit. There is also nothing to read between the lines, Eminem has his music deeper. Though we have to think about his future destiny, about possible career of Murphy's character, there's nothing beside that. Other characters are as simple as spoon witch Neo tries to bend. I think it's 8. P.S. Once again I say sorry for my language.
A cliched, boring, predictable movie, with absolutely no surprises.
posted on 27 Jun 2009The main problem with the hype surrounding this movie is that it misleads you into thinking that what you are seeing is something original, something that has not been done a thousand times before. It promises us that the film will be frighteningly realistic and distrubing, with performances so honest, because much of it is Eminem's so-called life story.What this movie really is is nothing but a movie you have seen one hundred times before, the only difference is that the characters names have been changed! One mans struggle to beat his tough suburban upbringing, rise above the oppression and make a name for himself?!?! Please, how hackneyed can you get? At least 2pac did a good job of playing the very same role!The ending is so predictable you just wait there bored, waiting for it to eventually get there, and hoping that just maybe the film will surprise you along the way. It never does. This film is an embarrassment to film making!
Name a better popstar vehicle movie.
posted on 21 Jun 2009*Watch out for a very minor subplot spoiler*Shoot, it sure is better than "Glitter" or "Crossroads!" I haven't seen "Bones" yet, but you know what, I'm willing to lay pretty good money that it's better than that, too.Brittany Murphy could have been totally cut out of this movie and you wouldn't have even FELT it. But overall, the story's alright, the performances are at times pretty good, the visuals of desolate wintertime Detroit are great, and the music, obviously, is off the charts. The rap battles make for some of the most entertaining movie moments in recent memory, and the soundtrack (an excellent mix of mid-'90s hardcore hip-hop) is perfect. There are some moments when you feel a little embarrassed to be watching the movie, though, like mom hitting the Bingo jackpot and instantly solving all her problems. Or Rabbit's supposedly pregnant ex-girlfriend (played by the pregnant chick from "Crossroads!" Irony can be pretty ironic sometimes!) muddling her way through the worst-acted 90 seconds since, well, "Crossroads."You can love him or you can hate him, but Slim IS the most significant American pop culture icon since Kurt Cobain. This (mostly) successful outing into another medium further cements that status. I'd give it a 6 or 7 out of 10.
impressive acting debut
posted on 26 Aug 2009Rapper Eminem makes a spectacular screen debut in `8 Mile,' a film designed to showcase the performer's talents as singer, songwriter and, now, actor.In this semi-autobiographical tale, Eminem plays a young white rapper named Jimmy who is struggling to achieve respectability and recognition in an area dominated almost exclusively by black artists. We've seen this story before in films ranging from `The Hustler' to `The Cincinnati Kid' to `Rocky': the hotshot, talented newcomer attempts to make a name for himself in some specialized area (be it pool, poker, boxing or rapping) by challenging and defeating the highly respected and established reigning champ. In terms of plotting, `8 Mile' offers little that is new or exciting, but what makes the movie work is the fine sense of detail and texture that writer Scott Silver and director Curtis Hanson bring to the world they are showing us. Set in 1995 Detroit, the film superbly captures the unmitigated bleakness of its urban setting: from the burnt-out, abandoned buildings to the graffiti-covered walls to the dank, cavernous music clubs to the rundown trailer parks. Jimmy is caught in a world that offers the poor working class stiff little opportunity for hopes and dreams beyond those he can make for himself - and Jimmy has found rap music to be the best chance for his ticket out. Yet, Jimmy is no pie-in-the-sky idealist. He knows that he can't afford to put all his eggs into one basket and so he remains levelheaded and pragmatic in his aspirations and goals. Beyond the obvious handicap of his skin color, Jimmy is also having to cope with a crumbling relationship, an alcoholic mother, her abusive boyfriend and some `concerned' parties who, despite what they may say, may not always have Jimmy's best interest at heart.Each of these characters has the potential to become nothing more than a hokey stereotype, but the acting and the writing keep most of it real most of the time. Kim Basinger, Mekhi Phifer, Britanny Murphy and several others all turn in fine performances in their roles, but it is Eminem himself who makes the film work. Jimmy, despite all the frustration and rage smoldering under the surface, comes across as a decent guy who wants to make something of himself and to help those people who mean the most to him in the process. Eminem is a natural on the screen, and it will be interesting to see if he will be able to so successfully inhabit a character who is not so carefully tailored to fit his ready-made persona. My suspicion is that he will, though only time - and his next few roles - will tell.`8 Mile' affords a fascinating glimpse into a subculture that many of us have hitherto viewed only from the outside. Especially intriguing are the `hip-hop battles,' wherein rappers come on stage and challenge one another to perform spontaneous mutual put-downs, with the audience getting to determine the contest's winner. No matter what one may feel about rap music itself, one has to admire the talent involved in composing these rhyming verses extemporaneously. The music may sometimes be execrable, but the love of language that pours forth out of the mouths of these young practitioners is actually quite encouraging and captivating (though one wishes that that talent would be channeled in a more positive direction at times).An interesting side note: at one point, Jimmy recites a rap defending a homosexual co-worker. After all the bad blood that has gone down between Eminem and the gay community in the past, I wonder if this is the rapper's attempt to make peace and bury the hatchet. If so, it is a gesture well worth making.