Review of 8 Mile (2002) by Harry W — 03 Oct 2015

Based on the real life story of Eminem and serving as the origin of the song "Lose Yourself", 8 Mile sounded like an exciting hip hop movie.

Following the traditional underdog sports movie formula, 8 Mile is essentially a hip hop remake of Rocky. The parallels are interesting because the film embraces not just the sport-related narrative but also the gritty edge of what it is to be living on the 8 Mile road. In that sense, there is elements of familiarity in the story. The underdog tale was established long ago with the release of Rocky, but so many films that attempt to mimic it make the mistake of forgetting to bring along the gritty edge of Rocky Balboa's personal life. In 8 Mile, Jimmy "B-Rabbit" Smith Jr. is given his own story of failure and regret which leads him to being condemned to a life at 8 Mile Road. Though it feels familiar and is perhaps a bit slow at times, the setup is inspired by Eminem's real life experiences which makes the reality of the already gritty atmosphere all the more powerful, therefore ensuring that the tale has greater inspiration and dramatic heft than the average film. 8 Mile is definitely a modern day Rocky, and the use of hip-hop music and rap battles instead of training montage music and boxing matches, therefore making an appeal for modern audiences really well. The scenery itself is very dry thanks to on-location footage, with a grey colour scheme and all kinds of dilapidated derelict buildings. This ensures that viewers get a really good sense of the harsh reality of living on the 8 Mile Road which effectively keeps a grim atmosphere consistent over the course of the film. Curtis Hanson has a strong eye for imagery and it works to the benefit of 8 Mile without the man having to emphasize too much, but it ultimately plays second fiddle to his genuine passion for telling Eminem's life story through the medium of B-Rabbit's.

The first time I watched 8 Mile, the film left me loving rap music so much that I decided to release a single of my own. And years later when returning to work on an EP, I turned to 8 Mile to try and feel the same inspiration again. Admittedly the film lost some of its impact the second time around as most films do, but as the film progressively got closer to the final rap battles I tried to keep up with them by delivering rhymes of my own in the privacy of my own room. And frankly, I came up with the best lyrics in a long time, so the inspirational power of 8 Mile is impossible to ignore. Of course not everyone is going to have the improvised freestyle session that I had, the inspiring message that anyone can be a rapper and that the music is a path for both free expression and out of a life that condemns one to be another rusty cog in a machine is full of undeniable spirit.

8 Mile is a film which commercializes hip-hop music on a Hollywood level without overdoing it, ensuring that the story maintains a strong depiction of just what it takes to craft the form of music with all the genuine inspiration to keep moving forward, the conflicting rap battles to really challenge the artists and the long periods of waiting around and just writing down thoughts in an attempt to make them rhyme and fit the beat. This what it really takes to be a musician, so 8 Mile's reality comes from so many angles. And its soundtrack is just great, with everything from the rap battles to the song "8 Mile" itself. But of course, nothing transcends the power of the Academy Award winning credits song "Lose Yourself" which has become arguably Eminem's most definitive song.

Eminem is the heart of everything in 8 Mile, and in his leading debut as an actor he proves to capture his role perfectly. Eminem plays himself so naturally like he is reliving everything he has suffered through, everything he talks about in his songs. As a result, the performance is nothing short of biographical. He never seems artificial, he is never short on charisma, but best of all it is impossible not to root for him. With all his human error and mistakes, B-Rabbit remains a realistic portrait of Eminem's real life self for better and for worse. He has a real edge to him which proves to show how well he can maintain himself in harsh situations, but he also has an attitude which is not always friendly. He is very real, faults and all. And since the character is an aspiring hip-hop artist, Eminem is able to put his natural musical talents into the role. The rap battle sequences are the best in the film. Even though Eminem nails the cinematic drama and shares powerful chemistry with every surrounding actor, the man is a rap artist first and he makes that clear in 8 Mile. His words flow so organically with swift brute strength and speed, and the spirit of it all is impossible not to embrace. Eminem's rap skills are made into cinematic performance art for 8 Mile, and it is truly a magnificent thing to witness as he ties the entire film together.

Mekhi Phifer adds a strong supporting effort to the story. His character is not exactly the most challenging one, but as the best friend of B-Rabbit he provides a natural sense of support for the man in a world which leaves him to walk alone. The two share some strong interactions which maintain a dramatic edge that boasts a strong underlying relationship, and it proves to supply Eminem scenes where he can truly delve into the character and express his vulnerability among other things. So Mekhi Phifer is very likable and helps to bring out the best in Eminem.

Kim Basinger is also great. In her first role in many years, Kim Basinger easily manages to capture the sense of hopeless self-indulgence of Stephanie easily. Living without any meaning or hope for herself, Kim Basinger is able to easily achieve a sense of lifelessness in the role without it being on any sort of shallow level. There are restrained elements about her which prove more emotional and therefore that she does have feeling in her, so the balance between emotional life and death in the character is effective. Kim Basinger pulls a really good effort in 8 Mile, and her chemistry with Eminem really boasts a strong sense of conflict.

So 8 Mile is predictable and a bit slow, but the inspiring rap music story boasts a gritty atmosphere, awesome soundtrack and excellent leading performance from Eminem.