Movie Review – 8 Mile

Well, rest assured this movie will be #1 at the box office this weekend. The fan base is LARGE and the PR campaign has been heavy so $20 million is a modest target number.

Fans of Eminem won’t be disappointed with his onscreen performance. He’s good. The general comparison around the `net is to James Dean which is a cool idol for any generation. Even though the storyline was predictably simple, the movie works because the audience only peeks a glimpse at one week in the life of “B. Rabbit” the protagonist played by Eminem. There isn’t a Scooby-Doo ending, our hero doesn’t run off with the girl or make the big record deal, but you’ll leave the theatre thinking he will.

I think I set my expectations too high and got caught up in the advertising hype. I did enjoy the movie, but the film pace seemed slow. Maybe it’s because I saw the video to “Lose Yourself” the soundtrack single. That video sums up the movie and lyrically I think it has a more powerful effect. The dynamic is there, the energy is there, but in the movie I found myself at times impatiently waiting for the next scene.

There was a scene that caught my attention midway through the film. I’ve only heard snippets of the controversy that surrounds Eminem for writing lyrics some people say are misogynistic & homophobic (don’t own a CD can’t comment personally), but in the movie his character stands up for a woman & a gay man lyrically in an afternoon rap “battle”. Later on towards the end of the film, it’s the gay guy who covers a work shift for Rabbit allowing him to take on his rivals in the film’s climax. I’ll be curious to read the reactions of Eminem’s critics.

My vote? I’ll be picking up a copy when it comes out on DVD.

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