19) 8 Mile
My next movie also shocked a lot of critics who were probably expecting something like an updated Cool As Ice but instead found a sort of dark, brooding, hip-hop Saturday Night Fever. 8 Mile was billed as the unofficial biography of hip-hop icon Eminem and, whether or not all of it is true, plays out the rapper’s almost mythological life story on the silver screen. The film certainly works as a strong, emotionally driven story of a rags-to-almost-riches rapper and the scaled back storyline (the entire film takes place over the course of a week) allows us to get to know all the characters very well and to really get a feel for the slums of Detroit that Eminem and so many others have come from. Where this movie really excels, however, is in the rap battles. This was an unexpected surprise for me, since I went in expecting a straight-forward biopic, but as the film goes on these rap battles truly become the distinguishing centerpiece of the film. It may only be my personal taste, but there’s something extremely entertaining to me about guys who can improvise quick and clever lines better than most people could sit down and write with ample time. I’m also a fan of anyone who can come up with a good, clever insult; it’s a lost art and Eminem, if nothing else, should be commended for mastering it. In addition to all this, Eminem really pulls us into the movie with his surprisingly sympathetic performance as a shy, blue-collar white kid who dreams of making it in a world that doesn’t accept him. Perhaps it was easy for him because he was playing himself, but Eminem really establishes himself as a legitimate actor in 8 Mile and I for one will be interested to see if he decides to make the movies a part of his career. All in all, this movie does the unlikely and tells a great story about a man who has clearly captured America’s attention and does so in an extremely entertaining way. It showcases Eminem’s talent without sacrificing the rest of the movie and takes its place as an interesting and unique work of Hollywood lore.
Original Review