Genres

Visitors Review

mike rice 2012-05-21 13:22:12

Good film of its kind, but not up to Curtis Hanson standards

**Some Spoilers**Eminem's 8 Mile movie did $54.5 million its first weekend. It wasapretty fair movie, but it wasn't great. Eminem has aboutone face- a defiant, fierce look- to display to the camera.The director is Curtis Hanson, who gave us the extraordinaryLA Confidential and the not so extraordinary Wonder BoyswithMichael Douglas. Kim Basinger plays Rabbit's trailer trashMom, who is divorced, of course, and going out with a guyonly 2 years older than Eminem's 20 year old character Jimmy. At onepointEminem is talking with his Mom and she blurts out somethingabout how her boyfriend won't do something with her sexually.Rabbitt pushes her away and shouts "Mom, I can't discuss that with you."Basinger got an Oscar for Best Actress in LA Confidential but she won'tgetone here. This is a better movie than you would expect from a rock starbutits still not first rate.There are a lot of black people in support of the Eminemcharacter.The setting is ghetto Detroit. Rabbit hangs around with blackguysand has learned to rap with the best of them. But he's afraidtogo head-to-head in a Rap contest at a local nightclub, eventhoughhis good friend is announcer and MC of the contest. Sortingpeopleinto heroes and villians is a bit of a trick for the storytellers.In the end, Rabbit is the good guy and a group of rival blacksarethe bad guys. If Rabbit hadn't had his own group of moreloveableblacks (to the audience) backing him, this politically incorrect maneuvercouldn't have been pulled off. Toward the end, when Basinger's boyfriendhas ditched her and she has received an eviction notice, she wins $3,400ata Bingo parlor and so the trailer is saved.With that kind of encouragement, Rabbit summons the chutzpah and poetry tocompete in the rap contest and shrewdly beat the black contestants whothreescenes earlier had beaten him up pretty badly. Among the character actorssupporting Eminem are a white Michael J. Pollard lookalike and a prettyfunny and large Forrest Whitaker clone. Everyone has seen a variation onthis story before, but with Eminem in it, there is apparently all thedifference in the world.There's a minor trend in this movie and another with Adam Sandler.Thegood directors like Hanson have thrown in the towel trying togetquality scripts and have just decided to compromise theirhighbrowfilm esthetic with pop culture. Paul-Thomas Andersonof Boogie Nights and Magnolias fame has made a minor art moviewithSandler in the lead, pulling the same routine as Hanson does with Eminem.So, the actor isn't so hot! No problem. Find out what the actor canmanage,actingwise, then select a simple enough story so the actor can play therole. The new Sandler film is called Punch Drunk Love. I'll probably gohave a look see. It will be the first Adam Sandler I've ever looked at,since this guy's comedies are unbearably dumb and unfunny. Emily WatsonandPhillip Seymour Hoffman, extraordinary character actors, are there to backup Sandler. The movie might even be good.

LifeDethNAgony 2012-05-21 09:41:48

Good Movie

This is a nice updated Hip Hop version of Rocky. I am a fan of Eminem aswell but even considering that when i walked into the theater to checkthisout, i walked in with an open non biased mind. As a result my friend andiwere not at all disappointed one ounce. I expected a much different stylemovie but what u got was a stripped down in ur face raw performance byEminem and crew. See the movie if you are a fan of the Rocky genre. If ulike an underdog story then check it out . Great performances fromBasinger, Pfeiffer and Eminem.i give it an 8.

Robin Clifford 2012-05-18 17:20:07

Middle-aged folks may not be attracted to the film's rap base but the built in youth demographic will love it.

2012-05-18 16:11:08

Listen to the Soundtrack Instead

Curtis Hanson delivers a purely unintelligible, plot less, slice of rap drama that quite frankly has been done much better elsewhere. The entire film is a big set piece that leads up to the last minute and a half of Rabbit (Eminem) winning a rap competition. That much is good but the competition itself is given minimal screen time and instead we find Rabbit and his friends in a Detroit backdrop that looks like something from Bosnia with the trailer trash appeal to woo us all into feeling for these "kids" (Most of them grown men living with their mothers). Contrived yes, but it get worse when Rabbit's mom (Basinger) pops out of the blue with the line "We are being evicted" and with that the film is lost to stereotypical black men pulling guns, insulting people and picking fights.Very few will take this film seriously enough and although Eminem merits a nod for this performance (yes he can act) the script is like something that popped out of a twelve year old Eminem fan's computer printer, and feels like it too. Oh wait a minute - this is a vehicle for Eminem fans. A quick slice of Hollywood cash making, filmed with token characters and a story won in a packet of cornflakes. Even though I like Eminem this one is a real stinker and a waste of time and money. Do yourself a favor - Buy a Eminem CD or even one of his music DVDs. This is complete and utter $$$$$$$$$$$$-making on a shoe-string concept and a plot that will boggle your mind (What is it with that girl of his? Get a brain dude!)It's bad.

ShadySovereign 2012-05-18 12:19:32

A good drama

"8 Mile" is one of those movies that will never be forgotten as timepasses by. It is an entertainment milestone that tried hard to befairly successful, and it succeeded.Eminem's acting in the film was pretty good, along with co-starsBrittany Murphy and Mekhi Phifer. Kim Basinger was OK too, though shehad better roles in previous films.The musical scenes in the movie are a real treat for rap & hip hopfans, as well as R&B fans. There is also a handful of classic & oldschool hip hop songs playing in the backgrounds of certain scenes,which would definitely be good for the hip hop fans.The movie wasn't disappointing, but it wasn't so great either. It was agood film to see, and it's even better when you have the DVD with allits special features. However, don't expect this movie to beover-the-top, because it isn't. It's a well-made drama made in favor ofhip hop.To conclude, I recommend this movie to all hip hop lovers. But if youdon't like hip hop, then just rent the movie and see if you like it.I give the movie a 7/10

jtindahouse 2012-05-18 04:06:10

Excellent Rap Battles!!!

Very good movie. Everyone's acting was superb and the story wasexcellent. The rap battles were really well done and no one could havetold that they were lip sinked (which they were). The last rap battlehe did was his best. The lines were just outstanding. Eminem'sperformance was out of this world. Not one scene in the movie shouldn'thave been there. If they were going to make a sequel to it I think thatwould be a very good idea (if they could find a story line to base itaround. It's a movie that you can tell has had a lot of time and effortput into it. Overall this would have to be one of the best movies evermade about a person's life. I really hope they find a story line forthe sequel.

Matthew Turner 2012-05-13 16:54:13

Extremely enjoyable film, with a winning performance from Eminem -- essentially this is the Hip-Hop version of Rocky. In a good way.

2012-05-13 02:29:15

8 Mile Is The Best Movie Ever!!!

I loved it because Em is sooo hott ... the only thing I didn't like was that Britney Murphy girl she [was really bad]in this movie!! But Em really pulled it off and I enjoyed it so much I could watch it a thousand more times! Eminems #1!

Cynthia Fuchs 2012-05-09 04:50:39

Rabbit's story is galvanizing and Eminem is a superstar. But hiphop has more and other stories to tell.

Philip French 2012-05-08 07:54:49

While no masterpiece, it is infinitely superior to the sad movie debuts of Britney Spears and Mariah Carey.

Michael DeZubiria 2012-05-08 14:37:11

An interesting film about America's latest success story.

Even people who are not familiar with Eminem and his music (and, quitepossibly, people who can't stand either of them) can enjoy 8 Mile becauseeven though it is obviously a film based closely on his own life, it doesnot require any previous knowledge about him or his life or his music inorder to understand and enjoy the film.Eminem plays Jimmy Smith, Jr., a young white kid living in a trailer parkinDetroit with his trashy mother and who aspires to succeed in the rap musicindustry. The thing to consider here is that it's already known that Smithis going to succeed, which is the only theory that I can come up with astowhy they left out that last act, where he actually doessucceed.Rap music is unfortunately associated almost entirely with people who arep**sed off at the world, hence the fact that every rap star in the worldisfrowning with all his might on the cover of every CD. Given that, it maynothave been a good idea to see Smith succeed and get a reason to smile attheend of the film, because a happy ending would cancel out the need forangryrap music. On the other hand, it is more than a little disappointing toseethe movie build up for the whole time to the scene where Smith is finallysuccessful in the underground battle, only to skulk out of there with thesame mopy attitude that he had throughout the entire film.Eminem is very successful in his role, even generating some early Oscarbuzz(I was pretty impressed, but I'm not sure I'd go THAT far.) because heunderstands the material so well. He is basically playing himself, tellinghis own story, so he's had his whole life to think about this and he knowsexactly what he wants his audience to see. He also avoids the fate ofbeingyet another musician who turns to acting, only to release a film thatoftenis catastrophic to the rest of their career. Britney Spears has recentlymade this mistake by performing in the hideous crapfest Crossroads. Ithinkthat the reason Eminem succeeds so well in his role is because he is notpretending to be someone else which, given the content of his music, isnotsomething that he would probably be good at. Instead of a flailingmusiciantrying out acting, 8 Mile instead comes across sort of like a film versionof an autobiography.Kim Basinger adds wonderfully to the film as Smith's mother, who's datingaguy the same age as her son and who reveals shocking sexual details tohim,somehow hoping that he can give her advice. I loved Roger Ebert'scounterargument to people who say that she's just too beautiful to playsucha poor woman, saying in his review of 8 Mile that, given the amount ofuglypeople who live in huge houses, there should be no reason that a poorwomancouldn't be beautiful. Brittany Murphy provides an interesting romanticinterest, perfectly capturing the skanky nature that you would expect fromthe kind of person that her character is, but she is the second biggestloose end in the film, right after the fate of the main character. It isclear that she was sleeping with whoever she met that she felt would bethemost successful, so obviously she and Jimmy can't make up and get backtogether at the end, although they exchange a look just after his victoryatthe battle that suggests that he either forgives her for what she did, orshe has just changed her mind about who has the brightest future and isready to come back and start having sex with him again.Regardless, however, of these weaknesses, 8 Mile is an inspiring film thatcomes along at a time when an inspiring film is very much needed, amongallthe goofy action and cheesy junior high school crap that's pumped out inrecord quantities these days. It doesn't show how Eminem came to be thephenomenally successful rapper that he is today, but instead portrays ayoung kid from a poor neighborhood who focuses on a goal and achieves it,even in an area in which he is clearly an outsider.As he says at the end of the title song, `You can do anything you set yourmind to, man.'

2012-05-07 23:57:35

Curtis Hanson does it again...

I've never been crazy about Eminem, but he makes an auspicious debut with confidence and command. Curtis Hanson, director, has always paid great attention to detail (think "L A Confidential") and, once again, uses Kim Basinger to good advantage. Eminem, indeed, had a tough role; to maintain his identity while taking care of his crazy mother, and showing genuine love for his little sister; then, to deal with a flaky girlfriend and a gang of Detroit "Urbanites" (for wont of a better word). His performance is complete. There's a terrific 2.35:1 Widescreen, showing all the craziness of the audiences, and the bleakness of the slums. Powerful! My only complaint is, at the beginning, the music overpowered the dialogue quite often. The Sound director got it together about half way through, but there were some important dialogues at the beginning that helped you to know what his problem was, and it required a bit of attention. Eminem's music appeals to many (he wrote ALL of the music), but I chose to buy it because some reliable friends told me how good it was as drama. Yes, it's good. It's also one of those "David & Goliath" films, where the underdog makes good. I actually like those kinds of films. Eminem did a fine job; but can he do "Hamlet"? Keanu Reeves did.

2012-05-06 10:15:28

Eminem's acting debut is a must see !

This DVD is phenomenal. Eminem's performance as a struggling rapper is both gritty and truly compelling. Despite knowing that the movie is loosely based on Eminem's life doesn't take away from the credibility of Eminem as an actor. He pulls off the leap from rapper to actor with such ease that from the opening scene to the very end you don't see Eminem as himself, the greatest rapper to enter the thralls of popular music since Tupac, but as b-rabbit a struggling rapper trying to make a name for himself. Unlike, Em's critic's I feel that this movie is a must see for anyone not just his fans, but for all fan's of great dvd's. If you miss out on this dvd than in my opinion you are missing out on one of the best dvd's to come out in 03'.

Kenneth Turan 2012-05-06 00:48:29

A fascinating, surprisingly entertaining stand-off that has adroitly managed to satisfy both of its constituencies, allowing all sides to legitimately claim victory.

Kacey 2012-05-03 20:06:35

Worth the Hype

There was all this hype leading up to this film because it was Eminem'sfirst movie. I know that the box office numbers were very large for thismovie due in part to the fact that Eminem starred in this movie. I thinkthat if someone else had played the part that Eminem played, then this moviemight not have been such a hit.Eminem does do a great job of making his character Jimmy "Rabbit"believable. This may be the case because Eminem has many qualities ofRabbit. He grew up in Detroit and had many experiences that were similar tothose of Rabbit. Kim Bassinger plays the mother of Rabbit, a single whitetrash woman. Brittany Murphy's character made me kind of mad just becauseI'm not used to seeing Brittany play characters like that. But I got overbeing mad once I saw how she did in this role. It was a pretty good rolealthough I wanted to go onto the screen and slap her sometimes. MekhiPhifer is one of the most outstanding in this film, and his supporting roleseems to shine above the rest.Rating: B-

Bruce Bennett 2012-05-03 14:43:36

It has been over 25 years since Aretha demanded R-E-S-P-E-C-T from her man and Marvin declared 'war is not the answer.' Are we to consider our journey down the '8 Mile' road progress?

kevve@mail.be 2012-04-29 15:37:49

Good movie

I didn't realy expect that this movie would be good, but I was surprisedafter watching it. I especialy was impressed by the lyrics of the (rap)battles. Also the acting of Slim Shady could be much worse, like morefamous singers who also try to score in acting.I would recommend this movie to all those who like rapmusic.

aledh-644-505424 2012-04-29 08:03:11

A good film with a decent rapper

A venture by Eminem into the film industry. The story line had a lot ofheart in it and portrayed the life of a young rapper wanting to make itbig and the problems he faced to do so. A must watch film for any rapfan and anyone who likes a film full of heart. Set in Detroit where the8 Mile is a boundary between where and who you want to be. Eminem playshis character very well and the stuff he sings has meaning and actuallysounds good (I'm not a big rap fan). The late Brittany Murphy acts hercharacter to her full potential and as always has a very appealingcharm about her.I enjoyed this film and can't really find much more to say about it.Except for watch it if you already haven't.My rating 9/10

Ed Gonzalez 2012-04-28 08:40:58

As a vanity project, the film is more tolerable than Purple Rain but it's every bit as obvious and redundant.

Jack Gattanella 2012-04-27 16:06:13

Convincing and entertaining...

...though sticking to a certain music-movie formula, and not sticking to thetotal truth of Eminem- the atmosphere that he must of felt in those days inDetroit's slums is excellently captured by director Curtis Hanson, and therap scenes are finite, but non-fans of Eminem who see this movie may get thewrong impression about him, and fans and observers of his last three albums(like I) will see that he skewers much of his material. For instance, therelationships between his mother (Kim Basinger) and pregnant girlfriend arenot what Marshall dealt furiously about on his 2nd and 3rdalbums.Having said that, I enjoyed 8 Mile, as that it doesn't go for cheapemotions, and Jimmy "Rabbit" Smith's misery and frustrations are projectedsplendidly by Eminem, since this is basically a version of how he made it-he starts off in a trailer, clothes in a garbage bag and a car that breaksdown constantly, but has a gift to come at people at the right times withrhymes. I even thought (in a sense) that Basinger did a decent job withRabbit's mother, and she doesn't seem too much like a Hollywood starlethere.Bottom line, fans of Eminem and those who identify with the undergroundDetroit lifestyle will have a captivating couple of hours with Mr. Shady onscreen, and maybe others will too. However, fans of Hanson should know thisisn't his best picture. Grade: B+