8 Mile (2002)

Written by Scott Silver / Directed by Curtis Hanson
Starring Eminem, Kim Basinger, Brittany Murphy and Mekhi Phifer
111mins / Universal / Rated R
Retail: $26.98 / Street: $19

Scribblin'

The best thing that I can say about 8 Mile is that it isn't bad. Despite my deepest personal and professional reservations, I actually enjoyed it. I actually found myself cheering for Em in the end. The story is a simple one: "Rabbit" Jimmy Smith rises above insurmountable odds to succeed. In fact, it's the same story that we've seen before, right down to the last battle. You remember The Karate Kid, right? There's a lot of echoes of that film here.

The movie pulses with nervous energy in the beginning and the end, but the middle sags and slows as it attempts to set Rabbit up as the underdog. The only saving grace is director Curtis Hanson. He brings what's otherwise a B-movie up to blockbuster standards. His pacing is nice and his direction is perfect.

As an actor, Marshall Mathers doesn't suck, but Rabbit is a fairly one note character - dour, unsmiling and angry. And despite it's attempt to create complex emotional backdrops upon which Em can thrive, the storyline involving Rabbit's mother and sister is left forgotten and unresolved. As his mother, I can't even call Kim Basinger good. No matter what you do, it's hard to un-glam her.

8 Mile is hard rhyming, angry and filled with enjoyable rap battles. The good thing is, you won't be disappointed if you're an Eminem fan, or even if you hate hip-hop. There's something here for everyone.

Movie Grade: B-

Video: 4 out of 5
It's hard to judge because of the deliberate blue cast throughout the entire movie. There's little grain, dark levels are adequately balanced and the 2.35 frame really does justice to Hanson's shooting.
Anamorphic Widescreen 2.35:1

Audio equivalent of the one-foot-crane kick

Audio: 4 out of 5
Naturally, the bass and music really kicks in this movie. At points, the music in the film overwhelms the dialogue. This can be a good thing, depending on how you look at it.
English (Dolby 5.1 and 2.0), English (DTS 5.1), Spanish (Dolby 2.0), French (Dolby 5.1)

Extras: 3.5 out of 5
Again, another opportunity squandered. There's no commentary tracks by Em or Hanson. It would have been great to hear them at the same time. The only thing about the making of the movie is one of those little ten minute trifles that aren't even worth the plastic they're printed on. There's a music video (an odd combination of raunchy visuals and censored lyrics), some production notes and some info on the music. The best extra however (and the reason for the .5 grade above) is the Rap Battles video. Running about 30 minutes, it shows the extras on the film, battling it out to take on Em. Naturally, Hanson decided to capture some of these battles on film, in case he wanted to edit them in the movie. They're done without rehearsal and it's all fun. Needless to say, Eminem smokes all the challengers, but most put up a good fight. The disc is a single disc in a keepcase.

Overall: 3 out of 5
It's hard to recommend to fans of Hanson (LA Confidential, Wonder Boys) but for fans of Eminem it's a no brainer. If you like pure hip-hop or a beating the odds story, this one is for you. Go ahead and rent it.

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