8 Mile (2002) review

(8/10)

The life story of Eminem: rough, suspenseful, and meaningful...plus you feel gangsta when it's over.

PLOT:In 1995 Detroit, Jimmy "B-Rabbit" Smith, Jr. (Eminem) has just broken up with his girlfriend and is living the rough life living with his mom (Kim Basinger) and her jerky boyfriend, Greg (Michael Shannon) in a trailerpark. Rabbit has to keep his clothes in a trashbag, works at a gritty car factory, and goes out on Fridays with his crew to the Shelter to rap battle. When Rabbit chokes on stage, he has to try and redeem himself while living his tough-as-nails life, trying to get a record deal, and trying to keep a stable relationship up with the new apple-of-his-eye, Alex (Brittany Murphy). It's a good plot story executed very well.



ACTING:The acting is pretty great in here. I didn't think Eminem could act! He did a great job, especially since he pretty much lived this story. The other shiners were in here were Kim Basinger as Stephanie Smith (Rabbit's mom), Brittany Murphy as Alex, Mekhi Phifer as Future, Anthony Mackie as Papa Doc, and Chloe Greenfield as Lily. For a little kid, Greenfield did a great job as Rabbit's ?sister? We're never made clear on that. I also enjoyed Basinger's performance as Rabbit's mom. Rest in peace, Murphy.

SCORE:The whole soundtrack is made up of rap/hip-hop music. If you don't like that kind of music, then this movie's not for you. The soundtrack's made up of music by rapers such as Eminem (of course), Method Man, Mary J. Blige, and a whole slew of others. Though it's not my favorite type of music, I enjoy some of it and most of Eminem's stuff.



OTHER CONTENT:This movie's claimed to be the story of Eminem's life on film. If that's so, then he lived a surely rough life. This movie's suspenseful, meaningful, rough, ghetto, full of rap, and full of fight. Don't hate it for the type of music, for it's a really great movie with enough events to keep the natural filmgoer happy. My only problem with the movie aside from it being a little too not-my-type is that it seems to familiar; it follows a formula of rags-to-riches I've seen ever so much. It works in here very well, but it doesn't help its uniqueness any.

OVERALL,a great movie with a very well executed plot, great acting, good rap soundtrack, suspense, meaning, and abundant ghetto roughness, but it's not really my type of film and the plot formula seems to familiar.