8 Mile Details

Director Curtis Hanson puts a new spin on the familiar “triumph against the odds” genre with this slick showcase for the talents of superstar rapper Eminem. The story follows aspiring rap artist “Rabbit” (Eminem), who hopes to escape his bleak life in Detroit's 8 Mile district — the dividing line between the city's white suburbs and the predominantly black inner city. But, after losing his job and his (pregnant) girlfriend, he's forced to work in a soul-destroying factory and to live with his alcoholic mother (Kim Basinger) and her lover. The star's notorious misogyny and homophobia are understandably softened here — though audience credibility may be stretched by a scene in which he chides his friends for taunting a gay colleague. While it doesn't break any new ground, Hanson's film is a compellingly gritty account of growing up in poverty on Detroit's streets. But the real revelation here is Eminem, who delivers an irresistibly likeable and honest performance, albeit pretty much as himself.

Successful attempt to make a rapper into a movie star with a gritty, semi-autobiographical drama; in the process, though, Eminem has been tamed.