Do better

Rating: 7/10 (25 January 2003)

My first impression after I saw 8 Mile's trailer a few months ago was the same many people had. At that moment I was sure I wasn't going to see this joke of a movie, which only purpose is to keep selling that character called Eminem, who is funny, yes, he is, but I didn't necesarialy consider him an artist of any kind. Man if I was wrong! This is not quite an original movie, neither a blockbuster happy-ending flick. Luckily, it was directed by Curtis Hanson, a man who knows how to direct actors, like Kim Basinger, and people who wanna be actors, say Eminem or the girl who play his sexy girlfriend of the week. Before I get any further, I'd like to remark this: one thing that came to my head the moment this film started was, 'hey, what about 'Dancer in the Dark', I think there could be some similarities'. And I was right, just compare Eminem and BjÃ¶rk. Both music artist who tried acting the only way a non-professional can do it, feeling it for real, as if they wouldn't be acting at all. And this time works, as it worked with the emotive Dancer in the Dark. You keep comparing this two movies, I already did. Back to 8 Mile. Music, this movie wouldn't even exist without music. I'm not gonna say I'm a into hip-hop or rap, but I can feel music, I can feel the beat in my chest. This is one of those movies which have the right music at the right moment, and you can feel it. The scenes when "Lose Yourself" tune was beating in the background, with only one or two words of the lyrics we've heard on the radio, were ones of the best. As touching as these scenes were the battles scenes. Sadly my ear is no so good yet to understand english that well, that fast. (By this time I forgot about the subtitles in spanish, they were all wrong and didn't capture the core of the rhymes). Perhaps I could understand half of the rhymes, I bet you guys laugh more that me, although I catched some great lines and managed to laugh from time to time. In order not to make this too long, I'll add: you can do a great movie capturing the beauty even in ugly places, disturbing realities, and letting the hit song go on at the last scene as the hero walks away down by the alley. Classic but not cliche.
Just to say a number: 7/10