Let me give a quick run down of this man before I get to the review. All through my K-12 grade I had one undisputed "best friend", Jon. This was over a decade before the abbreviation "BFF" came into existence. When Jon graduated high school he went off to college and to live his life. I remained a townie. But all during my adolescence, Jon's father Don, was a father figure to me as well. Then during my teenage years Don became the "cool" adult. Sort of like that uncle that will buy you booze as long as you don't tell anyone where it came from. He was still an authority figure, but he spoke to me in a language that was familiar, respectful and encouraging. Once Jon was gone, I found myself still going over to Don's house to talk with him. I was just getting into film and Don had seen many of the movies that I was discovering. With time we built an interesting relationship while I felt like I was becoming an equal to him. That had never happened before, nor has it happened since.
Enough about all that. Don requested that we watched the Eminem vehicle 8 Mile. This was not was I had in mind. I was thinking maybe a more classic film, or a bloody action movie would be in store. The Graduate or Reservoir Dogs was what I was thinking. I don't own 8 Mile, but Netflix had it on their streaming service so we checked it out.
I should mention that at times, Don can be a little long winded and I can't help but attempt to retort to his comments. I should have known that this was going to be a long evening when we stopped the opening credits twice so he could interject.
8 Mile is the semi-autobiographical film about the rapper Eminem, AKA Marshall Matters. He rose out of a dilapidated trailer park at the end of Detroit's 8 Mile road to become a multi-platinum record selling recording artist. The film is a heightened and dramatized retelling of his life's story. Not that the story needed a lot of added drama. The film clearly and without prejudice lays out the obstacles that face this area and it's inhabitants in their daily lives.
Right off the bat I noticed that the people depicted in the movie weren't "bad people", they just made poor decisions. A more accurate way to say that is that the characters in this film don't know how to make smart decisions. They are not stupid people, they are ignorant when it comes to Cause & Effect thinking.
Eminem's character is called Rabbit. He is in his early 20's and loosing menial job after menial job. He has broken up with his girlfriend and moved back in with his unemployed mother and her deadbeat boyfriend. There is also a young girl in the household. It was unclear her position in the family at first, but we later learn that she is Rabbit's sister. The mom is played by Kim Bassinger in one of those "hot woman gets ugly for an Oscar" roles. None the less she is effective as a trailer park dweller.
Rabbit dreams of making it big in the rap game. His crew dreams of the rap game to, but their dreams are of Rabbit making it big and them riding his coat tails. This movie is filled with characters that want and dream of better things, but aren't willing to work to make those dreams come true. Rabbit's mom plays bingo and stays with a scumbag boyfriend solely for his money. He of course doesn't have any, but he is waiting for a settlement check to come in from some bogus injury. Rabbit's crew talks a big game, but none of them are shone to have any ability to make those dreams come true. Even Rabbit's love interest is banking on a "modeling career" and later in the movie makes some poor decisions in an attempt to secure a better finical future. Rabbit feels this overwhelming pressure from ever angle. Everyone he knows is counting on him to be successful. His only escape and catharsis are his rhymes.
This movie easily could have gone for a "rags-to-riches" type story, but it doesn't. It is more honest and therefor less manipulative than that. It avoids the troupes of so many sports and war movies where the underdogs are able to pull out a victory through sheer determination and will. The way it avoids these cliches is to martyr it's protagonist. Rabbit has to come to a realization that it is not about his mom, or his friends, or even his girlfriend. It is about him and his decisions and his future. Along this existential awakening Rabbit is beaten and cheated on. Eventually he is lead to face his biggest fear, failure.
This final scene where Rabbit has to battle members of a rival crew is set up so well at the beginning of the movie when he attempts to rap in front of a crowd and suffers stage fright. You really don't know if he is going to be able to get the words out. I'd like to take a moment to complement Eminem on his acting chops. I could really see the doubt and anxiety in his eyes. Not only that, once he begins rapping I felt every word that was said. He wasn't rapping against this rival crew, he was raging against his surrounds.
I won't spoil the final battle, but structurally it was wholly original. I can't think of another battle scene in any movie, regardless of the type of battle, where Rabbit's strategy is employed.
The film does have a few week points that I found mildly distracting. Rabbit's crew are less characters than they are caricatures or stereotypes. Also there is a development with Rabbit's mom that felt like the studio might have gotten involved to lighten the mood a little towards the end of the film. Finally there is Britney Murphy. She plays Rabbit's love interest. I personally don't think she is all that great of an actress, and her character's motivations were unclear to me. I wonder if there are a few scenes that got cut for time purposes that might have explained her decisions a little better.
This is a great movie that while set in a location that all of us might not be able to relate to, I think it finds commonalities throughout all walks of life. I enjoyed the movie and it was made all the more special for the company that watched it with me.
Don is unlike any person I know. His charm and charisma are legendary in my small community. He is smarter than he would ever let on. Rare is the occasion that I speak with him where I don't learn something new or at least see some aspect of the world in a new light. He and I share a sense of humor that ranges from plain silly (rubber chickens and flatulence jokes) to sharp, witty, sophisticated drollery. He is strong willed and opinionated but he is willing to listen with an open ear. He has never found himself in a crowd that he could not fit into, and that is without changing a single thing about his personality. He is quick to self deprecate but even quicker to commend others. Both action are always in service of the greater good. Musician, politician, patriarch, mentor and luminary are all great titles for Don. I am proud to simply call him a friend.
I give 8 Mile ★★★1/2.
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