Shows That Rappers Can Act

Rating: 8/10 (12 October 2014)

The first time I heard of the rapper Eminem, was in the year 2000 when I listened to the song, "The Real Slim Shady". At first I thought the voice was really awkward. Can some really have that much of a nasal voice?
But the legend that is Eminem lives on. I had my doubts about seeing his movie debut in the 2002, titled "8 Mile" because over the course of history, various hip-hop and rap artists tried to expand their horizons and try out their acting chops to prove that they are not one-trick ponies. But over the course of time, each performer had failed. But after getting a mixed reception from the critics, I decided to see the movie myself and be the judge if this movie was good or if it was pure dog poop.
In my opinion, "8 Mile" is good enough to purchase on DVD and for if you can't decipher hip-hip lingo, I would strongly advise you to caption the English subtitles to get a better understanding of the words being said. The film itself succeeds in keeping it real, plus everything looks authentic and never once does it feel forced or even contrived. I think it deserves to be seen many times and to me this movie holds a special place in my heart. Director Curtis Hanson has made many iconic films like "L.A. Confidential" and "Wonder Boys". Here in "8 Mile" he gives it everything he's got and not once does the movie feel like a letdown.
The main man that holds this film together is Eminem. His role as Jimmy "Rabbit" Smith Jr. is the definitive anti-hero. He's got a bit of a mean streak in him and seems to have the neurotic pleasures in talking trash and picking fights with people, only to lose most of them. His romantic scene with Alex (Brittany Murphy) was only on briefly while he was a working at an auto plant in the heart of Detroit (cliche). If you think this movie will have the predictable, formulaic conclusion where everything comes up roses for Rabbit, you are all out on a limb.
Eminem is not the only one carrying the weight here, the supporting cast is also equally poignant. One of the more notable supporters include Mekhi Phifer who plays the part as Future, who comes across as Rabbit's mentor and sort of a father-figure to Rabbit. Evan Jones is very likable as Cheddar Bob,a crew member who's funny, even though he's not the sharpest knife in the drawer. But the real scene stealing comes from the decrepit city of Detroit itself. The landscapes depicted here showcase some of the bleakest ever put on celluloid. It's been said that this movie was shot at the infamous 313 so I'm heard.
On DVD the extras are not very impressive. For one thing, the "making of" features are not anything worthwhile because they're on for only 10 minutes and very little contribution is delivered by Eminem. I was however, impressed by the soundtrack listings where you can go over to the scene where each song is featured. In that is in sync to the free style rap battles that happens in this movie.
The behind the scenes look at the freestyle battles that occur in "8 Mile" are quite stunning. It has a bit of an "American Idol" like atmosphere as four extras try to duke it out with the "King of Rap" himself Eminem. What makes this feature poignant is that this scene never made the final cut. This addition in the DVD holds it's merits as we see first and forehand just how dynamic and witty Eminem really is and he is the "King of Rap".