8 Mile

• Cert:
• Running time: 110 minutes
• Year: 2002
• Released: 17th January 2003
• Widescreen Ratio: 2.35:1
• Rating: 8/10

Director:

(LA Confidential, Wonder Boys)

Cast:

This is a film good enough to make me change the musical habits of a lifetimeand start listening to rap. I haven’t quite been brave enough to take theplunge yet, but one day soon I’ll get around to buying the Eminem CDthat will fit nicely into my collection between The Eagles andFairport Convention.

It was my dislike of this particular kind of music that was making me dread8 Mile, so heavily does it feature. Not only does it star theaforementioned Marshall Mathers as Jimmy ’Rabbit’ Smith, but the entireplot revolves around the performing of it.

Rabbit is a young man living in a poor area of Detroit and, when we meet him,he’s about to go on stage at a local club and have a ‘battle’ against anopponent – the two of them taking it in turns to perform an improvised rap for45 seconds with the best going on to the next round of the contest. But Rabbitchokes and is laughed off the stage.

This is only one of his problems though: he’s just split up with his girlfriend,he’s living in a trailer with his uncaring mother and he hates his job at apressing factory. He dreams to escape it all and he sees his rapping skills athis outlet, but first he must overcome his stage fright as well as surviveeveryday life in a dangerous neighbourhood.

The story is a simple and oft-told one, most recognisably as Rocky, but thatdoesn’t really matter. What’s important is the emotion and conviction withwhich it’s told. The greatest bonus probably lies with having a director ofthe calibre of Curtis Hanson at the helm. The established formula fora movie of this type would have seen a music video director making hisfeature film debut and giving us a hyper-edited, phony mess. Hanson grounds itfirmly in reality and keeps it naturalistic with the aid of a stunning drabgrey look that really won’t do much for tourism in Michigan.

The performances are also vital to the success of 8 Mile, from Kim Basinger’swhite trash mother to Evan Jones as Rabbit’s dim but insightful pal,Cheddar Bob. It’s Eminem himself though who truly impresses. His hip-hopcredentials were obviously never in doubt but the strength of his dramaticperformance is remarkable, particularly considering this is his first film.

The rap battle scenes pulsate with energy and passion but in between all thebitching and motherfucking lies a poetry I didn’t know existed. If Eminem andsimilar artists really can make up lines of rap on the spot for minutes at atime, then I stand in awe of them.