Scratch below the surface and you'll realize it's not that great of a movie

Rating: 4/10 (10 March 2020)

8 Mile tells the story of Eminem without telling the actual story of Eminem.
A Broke, white-trash kid rises up through the tough Detroit rap scene. The premise is good and portrays Detroit's musical underground well.
The movie does a damn good job at building the scene of desperation that comes with extreme poverty. This is a side of America that doesn't get covered too much in movies. But as the movie progress, the movie keeps beating that same bush again and again.
Hate to be that guy, but more film time could have been dedicated to progressing the story. No need to show constant reminders how bad B-Rabbit, Eminem's character, has it.
First off, the good.
There's real chemistry between every actor. You get a real sense of camaraderie between B-Rabbit and his crew. You'll understand the conflict between Eminem, his mom, and Greg. The character development is well-done.
The director took special attention to keep the story true to its setting and time. Set design and soundtrack are on point. The tiny details are well taken care of.
But that's where I draw the line.
I couldn't agree with the plot. We never understand why winning a rap contest means so much for B-Rabbit. If it's held weekly, then it shouldn't be such a big deal to lose and/or win. Even in the film, he loses one week to win in another. B-Rabbit's goals do not make sense at all. Some of B-Rabbit's actions in the film doesn't make sense, either.
And the antagonists don't get much character development at all. They don't even say much at all. There are only a few lines spoken by the "boss" in the entire film. How can I understand the antagonist(s) if they don't even speak?
The ending itself feels a bit...empty. B-Rabbit wins a rap contest, but his situation is still the same. He got a lucky break but he could be in the same spot next week. The film doesn't feel complete at all.
If more time was spent on the screenplay, it could have been far better.
2/5. Hope my brother isn't reading this review. He loves this movie a lot. we