Hi! Gabe and the other Matt have the day off, so I’m taking this rare opportunity to submit my first and probably my last movie review of the semester. Today, we take a look at “8 Mile,” starring Eminem, Kim Basinger, Brittany Murphy (“Don’t Say A Word,” “Girl, Interrupted”) and Mekhi Phifer (“O,” “High School High”). Film studios, especially those affiliated with record labels, are often anxious to rush popular artists into starring film roles, even though many of the artists have little, if any, acting experience. Sometimes, the experiment works (example: David Bowie in “Labyrinth,” George Strait in “Pure Country”) but more often than not, it runs about as smoothly as a Ford Pinto driven by Ray Charles (Whitney Houston in “The Bodyguard,” Mariah Carey in “Glitter”).
Fortunately for Eminem, his film debut steers well north of the David Hasselhoff zone. The story is set in 1995 Detroit. Jimmy Smith Jr. (Detroit native Eminem) lives in a trailer park with his mother (Basinger) and his kid sister Lily (Chloe Greenfield) on the sour side of 8 Mile Road, Detroit’s well-defined road that serves as a perimeter, a dividing line between prosperity and poverty.
Jimmy, also known as Rabbit, spends his days pressing bumpers at an auto plant and spends his nights chilling with his posse: Sol (Omar Benson Miller), DJ Iz (De’Angelo Wilson) and the live-action Homer Simpson, Cheddar Bob (Evan Jones). While his homies talk poo about going mega-platinum and driving Bentleys instead of riding the bus, Jimmy fuels his ambition with his actions, jotting down lyrics on paper wadded up in his pocket at any moment that he isn’t too busy pressing bumpers or feuding with rival rappers. Of course, this is a drama, so those moments of clarity are few.
Desperate to save himself and his family from the jaws of sub-standard living, Jimmy pops the mic at a hip-hop duel hosted by Future (Phifer). At first, Jimmy is intimidated by the not-so-loving spoonfuls of boos from the crowd, but Future believes in Jimmy’s potential so much, he urges him to duel again.
Jimmy’s ambition leads him into a conflict. His talent is a campfire that everyone wants to warm their hands on, and he must decide if Future’s rap-offs are the way to get noticed or if he should trust the instincts of Wink (Eugene Byrd), a pint-sized player who claims to have connections with Dr. Dre. And then, there is Alex (Murphy), an aspiring but trampy model who will do anything and use anyone to get a ticket out of town.
While “8 Mile” is a fictional account loosely based on Eminem’s checkered life, Detroit serves as an ironically perfect backdrop. Director Curtis Hanson (“L.A. Confidential,” “Wonder Boys”) makes good use of the Motor City scenery. With a flurry of abandoned houses, businesses with barred windows and faded signs and highway underpasses that double as bum hangouts, Hanson portrays Detroit as an American Sarajevo: a corrupt, crime-infested paper juggernaut desperately clinging to the last semi-glorious remnants of its past.
It’s no mystery that Eminem is more than a little capable of being edgy and flamboyant, but some Slim Shady skeptics may be surprised to see his tender, compassionate side. Jimmy is at his sweetest around Lily, who proves to be the only truly innocent character in the film. He knows that he is Lily’s only father figure, a position he relishes even more than his music. Some may argue that Eminem is just playing himself, but even so, who is more qualified to play Eminem than Marshall Mathers?
In the midst of some bad role selections and a much-publicized divorce to Alec Baldwin, Basinger re-teams with her “L.A. Confidential” mentor for perhaps her most courageous role to date. Not many actresses in their late 40s would have the guts to admit they are old enough to play the mother of a 30-year-old rapper.
Jimmy’s mother lives a life of disarray. She’s not satisfied with living in a trailer park, barely evading eviction, yet she lacks the ambition to get herself out of the gutter. Unemployed and unmotivated, she is content with playing bingo and hoping her still-glamorous looks can bait a financially fit fellow into taking care of her.
Murphy’s portrayal of Alex is contradictory. She shows the rare talent to genuinely play a character that is nothing more than superficial. She is a sincere actress in a role that is anything but. Furthermore, Murphy makes a strong bid in her (or should I say the media’s) quest to become (or to make her) the new “it” girl in Hollywood.
The drama is intense, and the rhymes are clever and rhythmical, but ultimately, “8 Mile” comes down to being one of those “Flashdance” chase-your-dream movies. Jimmy’s rage builds up so much, I couldn’t wait to see him explode on somebody and ultimately shine. A feel-good story, yes, but like “Flashdance,” “8 Mile” cruises a bit into the predictable lane.
Then again, some of the greatest movies ever made are actually quite predictable. I mean, if one were to slam “8 Mile” for being predictable, then wouldn’t he have to disown such widely heralded cinematic triumphs like “Moulin Rouge,” “Titanic,” “Rocky” and “Dog Day Afternoon?