Starring: Eminem, Kim Basinger, Mekhi Phifer, Brittany Murphy
Director: Curtis Hanson
Rated: M15+
WHITE rapper Marshall Mathers (aka Eminem) has become a cult phenomenon worldwide since he exploded on the rap music scene in 1999. Schooled in the black hip hop clubs of Detroit, his angry lyrics have struck chords with young people everywhere, sparking protests from equally angry feminists and gays who argue that his rhyming lyrics are incitements to rape and homophobia.
Lately, Eminem seems to have mellowed. Maybe acceptance on a grand scale makes it difficult to maintain the rage. Whatever the reason, 8 Mile offers a valuable insight into rap culture that will offend very few and enlighten many.
Set in 1995 and based on his own road to stardom, Eminem plays Jimmy Smith Jr, an aspiring rapper who lives with his mother Stephanie (Kim Basinger), her unpleasant boyfriend Greg (Michael Shannon) and Jimmy’s little sister Lily (Chloe Greenfield) in a rented trailer on 8 Mile Road, Detroit.
By day, Jimmy works at the local car factory, hoping to finance a promotional tape showcasing his talent. By night he roams the streets and clubs with his friends Fortune (Mekhi Phifer), DJ Iz (De Angelo Wilson), Sol (Omar Benson Miller) and Cheddar Bob (Evan Jones).
Jimmy dreams of success as a rapper. But when he loses his nerve during a rap competition at a club MCed by Fortune, Jimmy’s hopes for a life beyond 8 Mile Road seem dashed.
8 Mile Road is a street known as the boundary that separates the struggling underclass of Detroit from the suburbs, and Curtis Hanson (LA Confidential, Wonder Boys) depicts this barren, decaying wasteland with a veracity bordering on social realism.
There are many powerful scenes, especially that in which Jimmy freezes during an abusive attack in his first rap battle. Although rap is nihilistic and verbally violent, it is also shown to be a linguistically clever art form that allows rappers to survive creatively and emotionally in a culture of simmering tensions and unravelling family relationships.
There is much fine acting, too, particularly Kim Basinger as Jimmy’s weak, downtrodden mother, and Brittany Murphy (Riding in Cars with Boys) as the ambitious Alex with whom Jimmy can see a future.
Scott Silver’s script is well tailored to its subject matter, but it’s simplistic and preachy at times. Eminem, somewhat unaccountably, makes less impact on screen than one might imagine.
These faults aside, 8 Mile is an honest and thoughtful attempt to place Eminem and the rap culture he represents within a social context that viewers can both sympathise with and understand.
