8 MILE

Starring:
Eminem
Kim Basinger
Mekhi Phifer
Brittany Murphy
Chloe Greenfield
Evan Jones
and Omar Benson Miller

Director: Curtis Hanson

Writer: Scott Silver

Running Time: 110 mins

Out to buy on DVD 26th May

After leaving his girlfriend, Jimmy (Eminem) had to suffer the indignity of moving back home with his Mom (Basinger) and taking a job at the Detroit steal pressing plant, a place that usually reserved for ex-cons and the desperate. But Jimmy has a talent, his friends Future (Phifer), Cheddar Bob (Jones), Sol (Miller) and Iz (Wilson) know it but Jimmy is too scared to show it. He knows it could be his way out, if not, he'll be stuck in the 8 Mile trailer park for the rest of his life.

Eminem is one of the most popular and well know music artists in the world at the current time but starring in his own movie could have been easily perceived as Hollywood cashing in on his popularity and notoriety. Unlike many music stars that try their hand at acting however, Eminem has chosen a project that might be viewed as semi-autobiographical but ends up been a very realistic and gritty look at the urban Hip-Hop scene in the mid-90s.

The big question isn't if the film is any good however, it is whether Eminem can act and the answer is a resounding yes. Choosing a movie were he plays a young upcoming rapper could have been a very easy choice, in essence he could just be seen as playing himself like many other music stars have done over the years, but in the hands of accomplished director Curtis Hanson, the man before the brilliant L.A. Confidential and the fantastic Wonder Boys, Eminem is forced to act and he does it extremely well. If you have ever seen any of his videos, you should already know that he has a great deal of screen presence and the Eminem and Slim Shady personas are basically just characters that Marshall Mathers III has given to the world, so the leap to more serious acting isn't such a shock as it could have been. The director has put a lot of pressure on his leading man's debut outing as Eminem is in almost ever scene of the movie but he handles every facet of the character extremely well and excels in the more gritty and violent aspects of the film.

Eminem's performance aside, the rest of the cast are really just there to help the story along and are never really given enough development to deter you from the leading man's limelight. Kim Basinger is sadly underused and Mekhi Phifer gets the best lines that the star hasn't claimed for himself.

The story itself is nothing new, a Hip-Hop version of "Rocky" with the inevitable big battle face-off at the end that we already know the outcome of. Saying that the ending isn't what you expect it to be and grittiness and realism of the surrounding and Jimmy's situation more than make up for any plot shortcomings.

8 Mile is a showboat for Eminem's many talents and it will be interesting to see him play a character that is not too similar to his own personality. This movie is a must for all Hip-Hop and Rap fans but it also shows that there is more to Marshall Mathers III than just music.

'Making Of' featurette, Rap battles, 'The Music Of 8 Mile' featurette, Eminem 'Superman' music video, DVD-Rom features, Dolby Digital 5.1/dts sound, Interactive menu & Scene access


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2003