Never Seen Eminem Before This

Rating: 9/10 (28 November 2002)

There appears to be a polarization between those who love Eminem and those who hate him. Since I've never seen him before this movie nor have I ever heard one of his songs before, I'll try to give my impartial impressions.
Another disclaimer - I don't listen to rap and The Sound of Music is one of my top movies of all time. That being said, I liked this movie. I enjoyed the way Mekhi Phifer and Kim Basinger played their roles. Both were top notch. I thought Eminem did a fine job for his debut, although he was basically playing himself.
The backdrop was done superbly. Having grown up near trailer parks, I think the movie captured their gritty reality. I especially loved the parts where they had to bum rides and go on buses because their car wouldn't work. Make no mistake, this is how poor live in this country.
I also liked how gunplay was kept in its proper perspective. Guns are dangerous and should not be played with, and I think the movie showed how most people react to them in real life. Of course, the way the movie was written, I think it was intentionally attempting to alleviate the anti-homosexual and sexist remarks Eminem had made a little while back (in fact, this is the only thing I ever heard about Eminem before this movie).
The editing was excellent and smooth, and I enjoyed some of the scenes that were tossed in purely for the cheap laughs. Hey, I like to enjoy a movie! The director obviously did a great job. Overall, 7 out of 10. Quite enjoyable - would've rated higher if that gratuitous sex scene wasn't in there.
-Marc