Surprisingly good. Much Kudos to the director Curtis Hanson.

Rating: 7/10 (10 November 2002)

﻿I am one of those people who dismissed "8 Mile" simply because it was an Eminem movie. I really don't care for Eminem, and I really don't much care for the current hip hop in general either. But what can I say? All my friends wanted to watch it, so I ended up watching it with them. And guess what? I liked it.
All the cast, including Eminem, are uniformly excellent, and I really have to give lots of kudos to the director Curtis Hanson (who has also directed much-acclaimed "L.A. Confidential"). He managed to capture the ever-so-subtle glint of defeat from Eminem's eyes in the beginning sequence of the movie, as well as the just-as-subtle glint of triumph near the end. I'm sure Eminem possesses the natural instinct and screen presence to be a good actor (especially in a role that should be familiar to him), but I doubt that he would have been as impressive as he was in "8 Mile" without Curtis Hanson guiding him. And Kim Basinger (who won an Oscar for her performance in Curtis Hanson's "L.A. Confidential") shows us once again that she is as compelling an actress as she is beautiful.
Plot-wise, there really isn't anything new here. It's a "boy faces the obstacles in his life, finds his own path, and becomes a man" story. It's almost formulaic in a sense. In fact, I think this movie could have been extremely predictable and boring, if it weren't for Curtis Hanson's wonderful direction and the subsequently excellent performances of the cast.
To sum it up, if you're an Eminem fan, then by all means watch "8 Mile." (Like I need to tell them) Although one of my friend said that he wished there were even more rhymin', I doubt fans would be disappointed. And if you're not a fan (of Eminem or hip hop in general), I still suggest that you consider watching this movie. It's a very decent drama, at the very least. Definitely not some movie to be dismissed simply because a rapper is in it. Good stuff.