“”8 Mile”” has created more buzz across the nation in the past few weeks than Eminem’s barber’s shears. With a cast that will pull in every demographic out there, rest assured that “”8 Mile”” is going to be huge. The old folks can always say they were just checking out Kim Basinger’s performance, the 7 million plus who bought Eminem’s album are sure to show, and the entire hip-hop world is going to come out to see this one, whether it’s to decide if the rapping battle scenes are legit or see Xzibit’s cameo. The big question that remains is: Does this film deserve all the attention it is sure to receive?
The answer is a surprising yes. This film bucks everything that has daunted previous rapper acting attempts. First and foremost, “”8 Mile”” gave Eminem a role that he could handle, simply because he’s playing himself. While Eminem ceases to be the person America has grown to love/hate/feel sorry for, he stops there; Eminem carries the film, but doesn’t make the film sensational. Feel free to dismiss any discussion you hear of the word “”Oscar.””
The filmmakers also gave the film a true and gritty feel. The film is set in the ghetto of Detroit, where Eminem actually grew up. The city served up a portion of true ghetto life, no Hollywood added. The film’s artistic elements were superb, from soundtrack to cinematography, and the mood of the film stayed true to the subject matter.
The real-life feel that the “”8 Mile”” team hoped to bring to the film was exemplified in Enimem’s sex scene with Brittany Murphy’s character, which lasts a good minute and a half. This film does for Detroit and the rap community what “”Good Will Hunting”” did for Boston and intellectuals. “”8 Mile”” successfully gives an authentic feel for a small geographic location rather than watering down elements of the Detroit scene that outsiders might not understand.
It’s possible that the film’s intense focus on providing that true-life tone comes at the cost of the film not having a real message. “”8 Mile”” feels almost more like a documentary than a movie because the plot doesn’t really do anything more than tell Eminem’s story — which would be fine, except that it isn’t really Eminem’s story. And while most biographical films manage to squeeze out some sort of message, the fact that “”8 Mile”” didn’t have to stick strictly to Eminem’s biography meant that this film should have had something beneath the surface.
However, the film does manage to entertain, with great performances by Mekhi Pheifer and Evan Jones, who help provide some of the film’s heaviest and most lighthearted moments. Basinger offers up what is undoubtedly the most unattractive performance of her career, though Rabbit’s (Eminem’s) on-screen peers seemed to disagree, with a number of “”yo mama”” references scattered throughout the film. Basinger provided the film’s low point by describing her sex life to her son the way only a trailer-park woman could. Murphy and Taryn Manning both look good on screen, but serve no other real purpose in the film except to help paint the desolate picture that surrounds Eminem’s character.
This movie is sure to bolster the sales and reputation of a man who is already America’s most undeserving bad-boy sweetheart.
8 Mile
****
Starring Eminem, Kim Basinger and Brittany Murphy
In theaters Nov. 8
Rated R
