Brilliant and compelling but not for everybody

Rating: 8/10 (14 December 2008)

I first saw "8 Mile" a few years ago when Eminem was still hugely popular as a rap artist. I didn't like it very much, and I was largely bored throughout. But now I am involved in the spoken word scene in London, and witnessed live some actual rap battles (as of yet I have not summoned the balls to actually take part in one). So it felt it would be appropriate to revisit the movie, so I rented it out in DVD. I was well impressed.
Eminem plays Rabbit, a young man living and working in Detroit where he has a job at a mechanics plant. His only passion is for hip-hop rhyming slang, at which he excels, and routinely takes part in the rap battles that take place at his local club. But problems at home with his trailer trash mother (Kim Basinger), a spunky but unfaithful girlfriend (Brittany Murphy) and fist-fights with rival rappers, grind Rabbit into the ground as he prepares to face his doubts and engage in the battle his life...
I am now better able to appreciate the courage and the brilliant skill that goes into these rap battles, so I really enjoyed these parts of it. The film nails the atmosphere of the battles perfectly, with a well-choreographed and spirited crowd of extras. The drama in Rabbit's life with his friends and family is carefully and realistically portrayed but is REALLY harrowing and I found these scenes difficult to watch.
It is safe to assume that the story is based on Eminem's own life story, and though it follows a well-worn theme, produces a couple of unexpected surprises. Rabbit is a white man operating in a world dominated by blacks, yet it's fair to say that while the black man may be oppressed and the white man privileged in other areas of life, the reverse is sometimes true and so it is here.
Eminem acquits himself perfectly playing a version of himself, and his performance makes the movie. He is surrounded by a gallery of excellent supporting players who are all superbly well-cast. The cinematography really captures the gritty seediness of the setting and the movie is great to look at.
Perhaps you need to be a fan of hip-hop or spoken word in general to really appreciate this, but it's still a very compelling picture.