If you’re looking for power, energy, truth or just soft porn, “8 Mile” is a must-see movie.
Eminem portrays Jimmy Smith Jr., also known as Rabbit, a young man who struggles with who he is and who he really wants to be.
Brittany Murphy plays Alex , who is called his girl in the movie but who sleeps around, a hood rat girl who will do anything to get a ticket out of her world. One highlight of the movie is the chance to watch Eminem getting it on with Murphy in a scrap metal warehouse. During this scene, the Bakersfield audience started to scream out sexual comments such as, “Yeah! Brittany Murphy, lucky girl” However, the scene is hot and steamy.
The title refers to Detroit’s perimeter, a line between black and white. Underneath is a history of outraged creativity, most of that put toward music.
Eminem portrays the role of a struggling rap singer perfectly, because it’s based on him. He was very powerful and compelling.
Sorry guys. The little girl that everyone sees in the previews was not his daughter. She plays his sister who lives with his dysfunctional mother, portrayed by Kim Bassinger.
Bassinger excellently plays the role of mom, a pill-popping unstable mother who depends on men and bingo to make life fulfilling.
There is a very explicit scene were Bassinger bares it all and is moonlight-riding her boyfriend on the couch and Eminem walks in to see that happening. I don’t recommend this movie for young kids.
In the film, Eminem puts everyone in their place as the only white rapper surrounded by black artists. He reveals all his dirt and then dares his rival, Papa Doc, portrayed by Anthony Mackie, to tell the audience something they don’t already know about him.
The biggest drawback to the film is the ending. After hinting that Rabbit may be hurt by violence, instead he turns and looks at Mekhi Phifer, who plays a father figure to Rabbit, and says, “Sometimes you just have to go your own way.” As he walks off into a dark street, his hit song “Lose yourself” plays.
This is a sorry-ass ending. While it was like the director was in a hurry to go home, all in all it was worth $8.75.
Poze • Aug 17, 2014 at 10:37 am
It is rare that an established filmmaker and production company create something that young people are able to grasp the complete meaning of. Intellectual jargon or unnecessary vagueness of plot often take precedence over lucidity and appeal.
Eminem’s “8 Mile” has managed to break this cycle, presenting in poignant audio/video style the nature of the life so many of our nation’s youth live, and how despite it all there always remains the possibility to break through.
The film’s meaning is largely overt, not subtle, and makes itself available to a much wider variety of viewers than most films with any sort of dramatic moral. Just look at the box office reports for “8 Mile”s opening weekend.
I won’t attempt to speculate on the effect the film will have among our youth, but I personally believe it will be positive in nature. It will be impossible for this film to become as transient as an action blockbuster or as esoteric as a cult classic. It’s depth and range of appeal are simply unparalleled in our time.