Keepin' it Gangsta
When I saw the teaser trailer for 8 Mile a few months back, I was skeptical. Despite his popularity, I thought Eminem wouldn't be able to make the leap from music to movies just as others have failed before. I was wrong. As far as music artists-turned actors go, Eminem might as well be Orson Welles.
8 Mile is a semi-autobiographical story of a destitute youth surviving the inner-city purgatory of Detroit.
Jimmy "Rabbit" Smith Jr. (Eminem) lives in a trailer with his mother (Kim Basinger) and her loser boyfriend, but only because he has nowhere else to go. His worldly possessions amount to a garbage bag full of clothes, and he works in a plant with a bunch of ex-convicts. But still he struggles to survive, and lives only to rise above his circumstances as a successful white rapper. This is his real struggle. The urban masses at "The Shelter," a haven for "rap battles" have booed him off stage once already, contending that rap is a black man's world.
Rabbit tries to ignore this shortfall and is convinced that he can succeed, against all odds. It is this kind of attitude that borders inspiration, and is what makes Eminem's story so interesting. Audiences love nothing better than to see an underdog triumph. Unfortunately for audiences, that part of the story is missing. Rabbit does have a moment of personal glory, but it is a sorry substitute for what could have been.
The story of 8 Mile is more a story about Rabbit's struggle against a rival "rap gang" than his personal struggle to overcome his circumstances. Don't go into the theater expecting to see a poor white boy become a millionaire rapper. What you'll get instead is the story of a poor white boy who becomes a proud poor white boy.
Even worse, you become attached to characters like Future (Mekhi Phifer) and Cheddar Bob (Evan Jones), Rabbit's friends who cheer him on with steadfast loyalty, and then you watch as he basically spits in their face. You also realize that if Rabbit decides to "do his own thing," he will leave his friends behind.
Still, despite the fact that the inspirational ball is dropped, 8 Mile is an entertaining spectacle filled with convincing performances and one or two admirable themes. Yes, I said admirable. The real Slim Shady even has a scene where he defends a homosexual.
Basinger gives a wonderful performance as Rabbit's mother, but her inherent beauty and glamour makes little sense to the world that the movie is trying to create. I'm not saying that poor people can't be pretty, but if the story is going to bring so many stereotypes to life, why not this one?
Women certainly aren't portrayed in a flattering manner. To put it more bluntly, they are hoes. Brittany Murphy plays Rabbit's "girl," who like him aspires to greater things. Her means are less honorable, and she'll do whatever it takes to achieve them, including betraying her Rabbit's trust. There's nothing about Murphy's performance that stands out, except maybe her look, which is dramatically sleazy. If that was the goal, then congratulations.
Despite the awards buzz, 8 Mile probably won't and doesn't deserve to go the distance at the Oscars, although it's adequate for those seeking a decent drama.
8 Mile is a semi-autobiographical story of a destitute youth surviving the inner-city purgatory of Detroit.
Jimmy "Rabbit" Smith Jr. (Eminem) lives in a trailer with his mother (Kim Basinger) and her loser boyfriend, but only because he has nowhere else to go. His worldly possessions amount to a garbage bag full of clothes, and he works in a plant with a bunch of ex-convicts. But still he struggles to survive, and lives only to rise above his circumstances as a successful white rapper. This is his real struggle. The urban masses at "The Shelter," a haven for "rap battles" have booed him off stage once already, contending that rap is a black man's world.
Rabbit tries to ignore this shortfall and is convinced that he can succeed, against all odds. It is this kind of attitude that borders inspiration, and is what makes Eminem's story so interesting. Audiences love nothing better than to see an underdog triumph. Unfortunately for audiences, that part of the story is missing. Rabbit does have a moment of personal glory, but it is a sorry substitute for what could have been.
The story of 8 Mile is more a story about Rabbit's struggle against a rival "rap gang" than his personal struggle to overcome his circumstances. Don't go into the theater expecting to see a poor white boy become a millionaire rapper. What you'll get instead is the story of a poor white boy who becomes a proud poor white boy.
Even worse, you become attached to characters like Future (Mekhi Phifer) and Cheddar Bob (Evan Jones), Rabbit's friends who cheer him on with steadfast loyalty, and then you watch as he basically spits in their face. You also realize that if Rabbit decides to "do his own thing," he will leave his friends behind.
Still, despite the fact that the inspirational ball is dropped, 8 Mile is an entertaining spectacle filled with convincing performances and one or two admirable themes. Yes, I said admirable. The real Slim Shady even has a scene where he defends a homosexual.
Basinger gives a wonderful performance as Rabbit's mother, but her inherent beauty and glamour makes little sense to the world that the movie is trying to create. I'm not saying that poor people can't be pretty, but if the story is going to bring so many stereotypes to life, why not this one?
Women certainly aren't portrayed in a flattering manner. To put it more bluntly, they are hoes. Brittany Murphy plays Rabbit's "girl," who like him aspires to greater things. Her means are less honorable, and she'll do whatever it takes to achieve them, including betraying her Rabbit's trust. There's nothing about Murphy's performance that stands out, except maybe her look, which is dramatically sleazy. If that was the goal, then congratulations.
Despite the awards buzz, 8 Mile probably won't and doesn't deserve to go the distance at the Oscars, although it's adequate for those seeking a decent drama.
