Review of 8 Mile

The main reason why 8 Mile was a delight to watch was because of the cast. They weren't perfect in any way and that's why I enjoyed watching them. Everyone was convincing in their characters the boy, oh boy, was the chemistry great. 8 Mile is the third Curtis Hanson film I've seen and his second best so far (first being The Hand That Rocks the Cradle) One of the other reasons why I enjoyed this quite-flawed film was because of its easy watching. Unlike the other swearing-at-machine-gun-speed films, this one is quite attracting rather than being a repellent one. The cinematography is great, the and rhythm and flow may seem interrupted at some moments but was executed in a nice manner and Eminem was not only surprisingly good in his role, but also had a great chemistry with the rest of the cast, something I wasn't expecting.

8 Mile, unlike Get Rich or Die Trying, which has 50 Cent, is alive and energetic. It is with a message and a story. It has soul and emotion under the abrasive attitude. Unlike Get Rich..., this film was much better and deserves to be ranked higher. In Get Rich..., 50 Cent was trying too hard to act serious and there he made a mistake. He was focusing so much on acting that all soul, all charisma, all understanding to his character was lost. 50 Cent was just a person running across the screen. In short, Get Rich... was cliche. But you won't find any of that here. Eminem has his character in check and wherever he may disappoint you in certain moments of acting, he redeems himself in the rapping scenes, which he excels in big time.

Speaking of which, the main highlight of the film is the "showdown" between Xzibit and Eminem. Both were so good and created such a funny scene. Loved it.

Granted, Eminem is not gonna become Hollywood's next Cary Grant any time soon but he does have potential to become a "named" actor if he appears in more movies. Despite the many faults , he actually did an amazing job and was at ease in his character. From the supporting, I enjoyed Mekhi Phifer, Omar Benson Miller, De'Angelo Wilson and Evan Jones. Some part of me wants to see all them together once more in another movie, even though De'Angelo Wilson passed away in 2008. Then we have Brittany Murphy as Alex in one of her best screen roles. In her relatively short career she managed to give us some of the best performances in some of the best films and 8 Mile is one of them. May not be one the greatest but certainly a delight to watch. All the rest were just OK.

In conclusion, 8 Mile may not be a must-watch but try to when you get the time. A pleasing film indeed!

7.5/10