A great film for Eminem fans, but for Curtis Hanson followers...?

Rating: 6/10 (27 February 2003)

Two kinds of filmgoers may want to see 8 Mile, fans of Rap/Eminem and those who thought Curtis Hanson's "LA Confidential" was one of the best films of the last few years. Eminem films are likely to be very happy. The high vote given the film by females under 18 confirms that. Eminem turns out to be a surprisingly good actor and the music is brilliant.
Followers of Curtis Hanson like me may be less enthusiastic. The film is certainly interesting and well made, but lacks the mix of excitement, tension, mystery, comedy, sex, drama and star performances that makes LA Confidential interesting to watch over and over again. Eminem plays Jimmy's, whose relationships with his friends, family, workmates and girlfriends are well handled, as are his efforts to break into the commercial world of Rap music. But this is all quite low-key stuff compared with the dazzle of LA Confidential. And Detroit at night or gloomy daylight is at the opposite end of the USA to sunny Los Angeles.
Maybe there lies a clue to why Curtis Hanson chose to make this film. It is set in a depressed area of one of the most depressed cities in the USA and so shows a side of that country that is not often seen in Hollywood movies. This is an interesting film that I enjoyed, but no Oscars this time!