Ever since films gained sound, popular singers and musicians were trying to expand their popularity towards big screen. At the beginning of 21st Century such efforts were more likely to fail than not, at least judging by experiences of Mariah Carey in Glitter and Britney Spears in Crossroads. An exception to this trend was 8 Mile, 2002 drama directed by Curtis Hanson, which represented acting debut of rap artist Marshall Mathers a.k.a. Eminem.
Script by Scott Silver could be considered semi-biographic, since the protagonist Jimmy a.k.a. “Bunny Rabbit”, played by Eminem, has plenty of similarities with artist himself. The plot is set in Eminem’s native Detroit in 1995, just in time when Eminem was beginning his career. Times aren’t that good in the city that used to be epitome of American industrial might. With factories closing and major corporations finding cheaper labour in Third World countries, most of population, mainly African Americans, live on welfare and their favourite form of music is rap. Among those struggling to survive in those circumstances is Jimmy, young white man forced to work in factory for minimum wage, just like most of his colleagues who happen to be black ex convicts. Jimmy has recently broke up relationship with girlfriend Janeane (played by Taryn Manning) and must return to mother Stephanie (played by Kim Basinger), loser who lives on welfare and doesn’t even think about finding job to support herself and Jimmy’s young sister Lily (played by Chloe Greenfield). Instead, she hopes to make big score playing bingo and, in the meantime, gets new alcoholic boyfriend Greg Buehl (played by Michael Shannon). The only bright spot in Jimmy’s life is rap – a passion he shares with his friends. Those friends include Future (played by Mekhi Phifer), DJ who organises rap “battles” in Shelter club and is convinced that Jimmy has enough talent to break through into show business with demo tape. Jimmy also catches attention of Wink (played by Eugene Byrd), manager with shady reputation who expresses interest in Jimmy despite having Jimmy’s fierce rivals as his clients. Jimmy’s situation is further complicated when he starts relationship with Alex (played by Brittany Murphy), young woman who wants to start modeling career in New York.
At first glance, 8 Mile looks like a typically Hollywood story about underdog from lower strata of society beating the odds through hard work and perseverance and ultimately obtains wealth and fame, which is a concept best epitomised in Rocky. Similarities with Stallone’s film are, however, only superficial. Curtis Hanson, film maker best known for stylish thriller, is handling abandoned factories and dirty streets of decaying Detroit with the same skill with which he reconstructed bright and shiny 1950s California in L. A. Confidential. The viewers would have little problem understanding from where all the rage and aggression of Eminem’s songs comes from. Dark, uncompromising depiction of industrial decay, descent into poverty and hopelessness of American heartland makes 8 Mile look so different from Melrose Place and other Los Angeles-based fairytales Hollywood was trying to sell to the rest of the world.
Eminem, despite relatively easy task of playing character very much like himself, provides pleasant surprise with the acting skills shown in his feature film debut. Kim Basinger, on the other hand, isn’t that effective in the role of protagonist’s mother, which is much watered down version of the real life person Eminem used to brutally “diss” in his songs. Her glamorous presence sticks like a sore thumb in this bleak ultra-realistic urban drama and prevents audience from suspending their disbelief. Even Eminem’s character is watered down, most notably in scene during which Jimmy expressed support for gay character in order to portray something very different from rap artist’s notorious homophobia and accusations that plagued the early part of his career. It is very likely that those scenes are introduced in order to conform Eminem’s controversial images to conventions of Hollywood’s “political correctness”. On the other hand, Hanson has discarded some of Hollywood conventions, mainly in rather unsentimental depiction and resolution of obligatory romantic subplot, as well as with rather unconventional ending. Despite that, 8 Mile proved to be a massive hit. Eminem, however, failed to continue career on the big screen afterwards, but his first step in that direction is something he and his fans have all the reasons to be proud of.
RATING: 7/10 (+++)
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