Not bad for a first-timer

Rating: 5/10 (4 November 2003)

I had heard so many times already that Eminem had done a great job in this film which is loosely based on his life, so I wasn't entirely surprised that his performance was very good. The story itself is fairly formulaic, but Hanson directs it with sufficient style that somewhat enhances a very basic plot. There were several `throwaway' characters, and a pretty derivative conclusion but it definitely is worth a viewing even if you don't appreciate rap, because despite being a central plot point, there is actually not a lot of performance involved. I'm certainly not hating myself for having finally watched it.
--Shelly