It’s just Rocky in the rap world, but 8 Mile is pretty good anyway.
Just what L.A. Confidential director Curtis Hanson is doing there, I don’t know, but 8 Mile takes us to a low rent area of Detroit, where Eminem is working hard to get out of. It’s not really his real life story, but there are some similarities. Kim Basinger plays his white-trash-ish mom, and he has a little daughter. And he is a white boy in a predominantly black world…rap. Or is it hip-hop? I have no clue. That music is not my scene at all, in fact I hate it, and most music that isn’t guitar heavy, but I must say that I do respect Eminem for his lyrical sorcery and his catchy beats. I even bought The Eminem Show, his latest CD, based almost purely on Cleaning Out My Closet. That song gave me chills the first few times I’ve heard it. Lose Yourself, sort of the theme song to 8 Mile is used well in the movie too.
I used to love Brittany Murphy, but lately, not so much.
Mekhi Phifer is really good in this movie, the aforementioned ladies are OK, but this IS the Eminem show. He really gives a great performance and is very believable even when there is no music or rapping involved. I don’t know if I can see him, let’s say in a suit, playing a banker or some sort of business executive, but I can see him in other roles. He is a little raw, and I think Oscar buzz I heard is a bit premature, but he really is a surprise. Nicely played, Mr. Mathers.
8 Mile is a pretty good flick. It’s not great, not mind blowing or very original, but it’s cool. I think they dropped the ball with Basinger’s character, but again, this isn’t supposed to be Eminem’s real life. But that would have been even more interesting…
Sorry, I didn’t mean to hurt you…