When this came out in the United States, the media was gushing with "this man can act!" and it made me curious to see what the hype was all about. Eminem also released 'Lose Yourself' with the movie, and who isn't familiar with thatt particular song?
8 Mile is a place in Detroit; it's poverty stricken, and it's the seperation point between black and white. This is where Jimmy Smith, aka Rabbit, lives with his mom and his sister in a trailer park. I thought the name Rabbit was a good choice as he is really meek and timid, a good rapper at heart but a bit afraid of rap battles and this is where the movie begins. It is also part autobiographical for Eminem who grew up in Detroit, moved around a lot and to whom rap was his solace. Jimmy Smith could understand the black man and his problems because they related to his own, and Jimmy Smith has what it requires to take on any other rapper in the place he works. 8 Mile is full of people who wanted to leave, who wanted to make something of themselves.
People like Alex (Murphy), who is trying to put a portfolio together for herself and who believes in Smith, and his four friends who he do everything with him and who are by his side all the way. My problem with the movie is that it has all been done before. Apart from the climax, where Eminem raps at his best, the movie doesn't go deeply into Jimmy's motivations, or into what is happening in Detroit.
Jimmy seemed to be without any street cred whatsoever and it was only with Future's (Phifer) strong support and empathy that he decided to try. There are a few moments in the film especially which play on Sweet Home Alabama, but I found the pace too slow and the build up to the climax too obvious, and eventually found myself muttering "get on with it!" under my breath.
8 Mile is about a boy trying against all odds, including his new girlfriend sleeping with someone else, his mom living with a guy he went to school with, and living in a place that is so bleak and has nothing to offer. The message is there, it just wasn't well enough put. |
