8 Mile
Tags: neo noir

Plot synopsis:
In Fall 1995 in Detroit, Jimmy "B-Rabbit" Smith Jr. (Eminem), a blue-collar worker from a poor family, struggles with various aspects of his life. He has moved back north of 8 Mile Road to the rundown trailer home in Warren, Michigan of his alcoholic mother Stephanie (Kim Basinger), his little sister Lily (Chloe Greenfield), and Stephanie's abusive live-in boyfriend Greg (Michael Shannon). Although encouraged by his friends who hail him as a talented rap music artist, Jimmy worries about his potential as a musician due to his lack of confidence. This causes him to panic during a rap battle one night at a club called "The Shelter" and leave the stage humiliated.
Jimmy works at an automotive factory, but when he asks for extra shifts, his supervisor dismisses his request on account of his habitual tardiness. Jimmy befriends a woman named Alex (Brittany Murphy). Over time Jimmy begins to take more responsibility for the direction of his life. When he exhibits an improved attitude and performance at work, his supervisor grants him the extra shifts he requested.
Later on, Stephanie receives a notice declaring that, because she cannot afford to pay the rent on her trailer, she and her family must vacate the premises immediately. Despite Stephanie's best attempts to keep the notice a secret, Greg finds out about it anyway, with a brutal fight ensuing between him and Jimmy, and Greg leaving Stephanie for good. Jimmy's friendship with Wink (Eugene Byrd), a radio station employee with ties to a record label prompter, becomes strained after he discovers that Wink does promotional work for Jimmy's rivals, a gang of rappers known as the "Leaders of the Free World". At one point, Jimmy and his friends get into a brawl with the Leaders, which is broken only when Jimmy's friend Cheddar Bob pulls out a gun and accidentally shoots himself in the leg; he survives, but is relegated to crutches.
At work one day, Jimmy sees a rap battle in which a worker named Mike (Xzibit) insults a gay co-worker Paul with his lyrics. Jimmy joins the battle to defend Paul by insulting Mike. Alex is impressed by this and she and Jimmy have sex in the factory. Wink arranges for Jimmy to meet with producers at a recording studio, but Jimmy finds Wink and Alex having sex atop a mixing console. Enraged, he beats up Wink and their friendship is ended. In retaliation, Wink and the Leaders of the Free World attack and beat up Jimmy outside his mother's trailer. The leader of the gang, Papa Doc (Anthony Mackie), holds Jimmy at gunpoint, threatening to kill him but Wink dissuades Papa Doc.
Jimmy's best friend Future (Mekhi Phifer) pushes him to get his revenge by competing against the Leaders of the Free World at the next rap battle. However Jimmy's late-night shift conflicts with the next battle tournament. But a goodbye visit from Alex, who is moving to New York, changes his mind about competing. Paul, the co-worker whom Jimmy had stood up for, agrees to cover for him at work, and Jimmy enters the battle.
In each of the three rounds of the battle, Jimmy is pitted against a different member of the Leaders and wins the first two rounds. In the last round he is paired against Papa Doc. Jimmy is aware that Doc knows all his weak points, so he uses his difficult life as a springboard to reveal the truth about Papa Doc: his real name is Clarence and despite passing himself off as a thug he comes from a privileged background, having attended Cranbrook Schools, a private high school in upper-class suburb Bloomfield Hills, and grown up in a stable two-parent household.
With nothing to say in rebuttal, Clarence hands the microphone back to Future, feeling embarrassed that someone he thought was below him beat him in a battle. After being congratulated by Alex and his friends, Future offers him a position hosting battles at The Shelter. Jimmy declines, saying he has to get back to work and to find success his own way. He walks back to work, with a renewed sense of confidence about his future.

Review: This film says something about rap and the human experience that hasn't been articulated this well many times before; it bridges the gap between rap and poetry in a big way, and makes that gap look a lot smaller.All in all, the thing that really defines 8 Mile is how committed to this idea the cast and crew must have been in order to make this film.
Those who are saying `8 Mile' shows a vanilla-ed Eminem may have a point: this movie introduces him to a non-rap audience just as `Wild Style' introduced us to hip-hop.
Perhaps his CD's contain more inflammatory material than is aired in this movie, but what gets said here is most definitely not for any suburban grandmothers who aren't stone deaf.It's surprising - admirable, really - how well Curtis Hansen and his crew keep track of the plot from scene to scene when not much of it seems to matter other than Rabbit's problems with his mother, Stephanie Smith -- Kim Basinger.
Rabbit's closest relationships are with his emcee pal `Future' (played by an utterly charming and huggable Mikhi Pfifer) and his slightly retarded token white homie, Cheddar Bob (Evan Jones).But his closest relationship of all is with himself, as is clear from the first scene, where Eminem is doing rap gestures in the competition shed men's room, looking in the mirror, hearing his music in his head --and this is fine, because it's what a young man has to do:  get on friendly working terms with who he is.
You have to wonder how the rapper/actors feel who are in the movie only to be put down by Eminem.`8 Mile' cannot escape from the limitations of the fictionalized star biopic.
Things in Rabbit's life take a turn for the better when he later falls in love with Alex (Brittany Murphy), an aspiring young woman who dreams of becoming a model and moving to New York to start life a new."8 Mile" certainly is a moving and very touching drama.
Mekhi Phifer even said that he didn't want to do the movie because he thought it was about Eminem's life and that Hollywood was just trying to take advantage of a rising star, but this isn't the case.
This movie is something that really refreshed the Hollywood studio.It's preety different than the other movies because of it's really interesting plot and great cast(including Eminem).I have to say that Eminem did an amazing job on his debut and that he really was fascinating in a role that is maybe very autobiographical.Phenomenal soundtrack including 50 cent and Xzibit and of course "lose yourself"-the academy award winner.I think that the rap contest scenes are the best part of the movie, because they were made so realistic.After all, a movie that is surely creating maybe even an another genre in something that i called movie industry and a great try !.
Now there's a thing I thought I'd never say again about a rapper in a lead role of a film since Pac died!Like him or loathe him, Eminem prevents an average (at best) story being unwatchable by the sheer strength of his presence.
It doesn't matter whether you listen to rap a lot and are an Eminem fan or heard of his music occasionally on the radio, "8 mile" does an exceptional job at captivating the audience to the point that by the end of the movie, you are rooting for "Rabbit" - the nickname for eminem used in the film - to win and succeed.
8 mile road is used as a symbol in the film of the barrier the poor "white trash" lifestyle "Bunny Rabbit" is living in during most of the film to the rich and famous lifestyle full of power and clout that "Eminem" reaches after the film, and aspires to reach during the movie.The filmmakers did an excellent job making this story line based off the life of Eminem seem to be real.
Convincing the viewer of this realistic storyline creates some extra emotional attachment to Eminem (Rabbit) making it all the more intriguing even for those not interested in rap or not familiar with Eminem and his backstory.This rebelliousness you see in "8 mile" is a common theme in many films especially those coming out around this time.
Besides the basic aspects of the film it still does a great job portraying the life of a unique and obscure character in Eminem.Another thing that the movie does well is its use of subtle yet specific camera angles.
After all the hype from unlikely mainstream sources that said this movie was legitimately good, I expected to be impressed, but I wasn't.The music was good, the raps were good, and the sets were great, but the film itself was unimpressive.
8 MILE is one of those classic films that most A-list actors can only hope to appear in maybe once or twice during a long career and it's the kind Eminem makes on his first time out?
If it were, then he definitely wouldn't be on good terms with his mother in the movie and the little girl would be his actual daughter.Eminem does an excellent acting job, along with Mekhi.
STAR RATING:*****Unmissable****Very Good***Okay**You Could Go Out For A Meal Instead*Avoid At All Costs8 Mile is controversial Detroit rapper Eminem's eagerly anticipated acting debut.It was probably a good idea for his first time in front of the camera to stick to material relatively close to home and appear in a movie that is more-or-less semi-autobiographical.Does he pull it off?Yes,he more than passes muster.Being his first time,he hasn't quite mastered a naturalness that he would need to develop in order to be considered a truly amazing acting force,but he certainly tries very hard and carries himself very powerfully.The rest of the main cast,Kim Basinger,Mekki Phyiffer and Brittany Murphy,however,turn in merely adequate,passable performances which are less acceptable for more experienced actors.It doesn't help much that they are given such contrieved,unoriginal dialogue to work with,though.The film's other real fault is that the story has no real sense of structure or coherence.Although the central character and the situations and people he becomes involved with are very engaging,there's no real actual plot to follow and this ends up becoming quite a distracting hinderance.A good recommendation about the film however,is that it really comes alive towards the end,making you just able to care about the end outcome.The rapping sequences are great fun to watch too,watching the characters spurt out catchy,bouncing tunes that get lodged in your head,especially during the 'choking' scenes.Although this doesn't quite match up to director Curtis Hanson's original movie L.A. Confidential,it is easily on a par with his last film,Wonder Boys.***.
Eminem stars as a rapper trying to Make It Big while facing, oh you know, the White Trash Blues, eg, living in a trailer park, a next to nothing job, Kim Basinger etc etc.
While I'm quite sure my ignorance of hip hop slang and culture led me to miss references and the point of much conversation, it did seem to me that Hanson captured the why and how behind Eminem's rage.The movie's climax is the epiphany when his constructive genius takes over as he learns to channel his anger into his lyrics, and to even take it a level beyond the insulting toasting of the local Detroit battle-of-the-rappers to forge a new persona (what will eventually become Slim Shady among other images) and a new kind of rap that will sweep the nation.It is ironic that here in Detroit (or as the dialog and the credits call it - the 313) how few of the young adults have cars (even though Eminem's character is working in an auto parts plant), and are constantly cadging rides from each other to avoid the humiliation of taking the bus.
Kim Basinger, who plays his mother, allegedly based her own role on Eminem's accounts of his real mother.It's about a young white rapper from Detroit who wants to make it big but has to cope with personal issues along the way, which he vents about through his music.Curtis Hanson ("L.A. Confidential") is a surprising choice for director but it works out well - the film has a grungy, gritty urban feel to it.The acting is pretty good - Eminem got a lot of attention when the film came out but to be fair he's really just playing himself; I wasn't in awe of his performance as some critics claimed to be.
With an authentic touch, Curtis Hanson directs '8 Mile' starring new-on-the-film-scene rapper Eminem.
The fact that the film may be loosly based on the rappers own background, should not distract the viewer from recognizing Eminem's great acting talent.An overall superp picture which has been rightfully Oscar nominated for Best Song.
Eminem plays Jimmy Smith, Jr., a young white kid living in a trailer park in Detroit with his trashy mother and who aspires to succeed in the rap music industry.
It promises us that the film will be frighteningly realistic and distrubing, with performances so honest, because much of it is Eminem's so-called life story.What this movie really is is nothing but a movie you have seen one hundred times before, the only difference is that the characters names have been changed!
It wasn't the greatest movie of all time, but it gives "non-educated" people a chance to see what the underground hip-hop world is like, and some of the things that Eminem may have went through as he began his career.
I am not a big fan of rap music, but I liked the the songs especially "Lose Yourself." Finally, this movie has many apparent messages hidden through the plot.
Eminem proves he is an outstanding actor and makes the story unquestionable.B. Rabbit is a no one with plenty of ambition as well as his vocabulary intact, but when you're growing up on 8 mile it's not easy becoming anything, less alone a white rapper.
I was so surprised with how good this was i was expecting eminem not having a clue how to act, like so many singers which try acting cant but, Eminem is great, he has talent in the acting business, esp this type of film, you really feel this film, and the music really makes you buzz with excitement.
If you look through this new 50 Cent's piece of&#8230; let's say hip-hop movie (be accurate - watching it may cause some mental disease), you can remind 8 Mile and say to yourself, that Hanson's film could be much worse.
And what (who) makes this film great is Em. There were so much pros and cons, arguments and battles (even in Russia) about his acting ability (or maybe possibility), but he had done the job as good as he could and even better, especially during his rap episodes.
Based somewhat on Eminem's true life story of growing up in the suburbs of Detroit, 8 MILE is really not as bad as you would think.
The film is actually pretty exciting and Eminem acts so good, you would think he had been doing it for years.
This is a true masterpiece.What I think let a lot of people down is that rap music is not really the entire plot of the story, but it is more of a sub-plot used to show the life of a young man trying to deal with the problems of life.
For instance, the relationships between his mother (Kim Basinger) and pregnant girlfriend are not what Marshall dealt furiously about on his 2nd and 3rd albums.Having said that, I enjoyed 8 Mile, as that it doesn't go for cheap emotions, and Jimmy "Rabbit" Smith's misery and frustrations are projected splendidly by Eminem, since this is basically a version of how he made it- he starts off in a trailer, clothes in a garbage bag and a car that breaks down constantly, but has a gift to come at people at the right times with rhymes.
I even thought (in a sense) that Basinger did a decent job with Rabbit's mother, and she doesn't seem too much like a Hollywood starlet here.Bottom line, fans of Eminem and those who identify with the underground Detroit lifestyle will have a captivating couple of hours with Mr. Shady on screen, and maybe others will too.
When we look at the structure and theme of the film, Eight Mile could easily be described as Rocky does rap.In the Rocky movies (and for that matter in Flashdance), working-class nobodies in dead-end jobs are given a shot at the big time-a title match and admission to an elite ballet school respectively.
Eminem certainly does an effective job in a movie that is essentially his baby, his performance is very deep and personal, he certainly does not hold back, bringing his story to life through a fictional character.
The highlight of the movie is certainly the rap battles, I am a fan of Eminem's music, but I feel people who are unfamiliar with his art can still appreciate the drama and intensity of these scenes, the raw emotion of the cast is overwhelming at times.
The world is an odd place, but a human can become a master his destiny with hard work and will.The fact that Eminem succeeds in playing his role is also due to good supporting acting.
Eminem, the king of the white rappers, works in this film because he has the same "street cred" that my peers and I sought by taking rap seriously when no one associated it with whites.The movie "8 Mile" tells the story of "B.
Rabbit is troubled, conflicted, but his trials and tribulations are meshed together in a way that every artist can only hope for.One thing I've always liked about Eminem is that he's not a white rapper trying to be black, but that he puts a "white" spin on rap, mocking his race's perception as more grammatically correct, less "gangsta" and always the racial underdog.
Somehow, he manages to do this without appearing racist, but rather a mere product of his upbringing.This movie's main objective is to show the world of hard-core rap to a mainstream audience, and I can't imagine anyone watching this film while paying attention and not understanding the culture, at least on a surface level, by the end.One other note: Brittany Murphy stunk, as usual..
I guess only teenagers and people in their early twenties who like rap music and know the entire subculture around it and/or who like Eminem as an artist, will really love this movie.
First, after reading a select handful of everyones comments, it seems a lot of people DON'T realize that this movie is FICTION not fact....it is based on SOME of Eminem's experiences, BUT is fictionalized....if you have the dvd watch the making of the film, and you will see what I mean.
Rapper Eminem makes a spectacular screen debut in `8 Mile,' a film designed to showcase the performer's talents as singer, songwriter and, now, actor.
Kim Basinger, Mekhi Phifer, Britanny Murphy and several others all turn in fine performances in their roles, but it is Eminem himself who makes the film work.
I like the fact that Eminem's closing song says "lose yourself", not "express yourself".I still feel it's something of a waste of a film to give us this vision of Detroit, sketch out for us the virtues and nature of rap, and then mold the material into no particular form, not even that of a struggling artist eventually making it.
A lot of other story strands must go nowhere in order for so much good film-making to come to, compared to what's promised, so little.Despite what you may have heard there's nothing wrong with Eminem's performance.
This movie is so good that people who saw Rocky will like this a lot because 8 Mile has its moments that have the feel of Rocky.
Finally, a movie with a music star that's not just not bad, it's actually very good.The discussion first starts with, who else, Eminem.
The Man wants to know how he can prevent it from happening again.The Plot- Eminem plays Jimmy "Rabbit" Smith a young man seemingly from the "right side of the tracks" which Detroiters know as neighborhoods north of Eight Mile Rd. However, all is not what it seems for the suburban hero of this film.
Given the cast and premise, you'd probably expect 8 Mile to be an over-exaggerated version of hip-hop culture or a movie just showing how great Eminem is.
The semi-autobiographical account of the greatest hip-hop artist of all time, alive or dead, is actually a pretty enjoyable & nicely put together piece of work that also marks Eminem's acting debut at which he does a surprisingly good job, and despite featuring a familiar path & many unrefined aspects, is filled with brief moments that are absolutely thrilling.Set in Detroit, the story of 8 Mile concerns a young white rapper named Jimmy "B-Rabbit" Smith Jr. who's struggling with every aspect of his life & invites a lot of flak after choking at the local rap contest.
It's all leading up to the climatic final rap battle at The Shelter.Eminem does a pretty good acting job as Rabbit.
However the telling makes it worth seeing – the direction is pretty good and the liberal use of music is one of the many good touches, meanwhile Eminem ensures that it is always worth watching – whether doing witty disses in a car park, ripping the opposition in a battle or just being understated in a good role.
However the telling makes it worth seeing – the direction is pretty good and the liberal use of music is one of the many good touches, meanwhile Eminem ensures that it is always worth watching – whether doing witty disses in a car park, ripping the opposition in a battle or just being understated in a good role.