Not great but interesting

Rating: 8/10 (10 December 2005)

"8 Mile" is basically a biopic of singer Eminem. That he plays the lead character in the film just gives more reason to believe this. Kim Basinger, who plays his mother, allegedly based her own role on Eminem's accounts of his real mother.
It's about a young white rapper from Detroit who wants to make it big but has to cope with personal issues along the way, which he vents about through his music.
Curtis Hanson ("L.A. Confidential") is a surprising choice for director but it works out well - the film has a grungy, gritty urban feel to it.
The acting is pretty good - Eminem got a lot of attention when the film came out but to be fair he's really just playing himself; I wasn't in awe of his performance as some critics claimed to be. Basinger turns in a sleazy performance as his sexually active, emotionally abusive trailer park mother.
The soundtrack also features the Eminem song "Lose Yourself" - one of few rap songs I actually enjoy listening to.