IT'S A GIRL!!! Daisy Mae Cashman, born 12/10/03 at 1.59am. 7lb 10oz. Mummy and daddy and baby all do...
IT'S A GIRL!!! Daisy Mae Cashman, born 12/10/03 at 1.59am. 7lb 10oz. Mummy and daddy and baby all doing well!
Member since:01.05.2003
Reviews:22
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Whether you like Eminem or not, not many people can deny that the guy has some serious talent. I personally thought his early stuff was pretty dire, although some of the lyrics were very clever, but his last two albums have really grown on me. I'm not into this kind of music at all generally, but I have purchased the 8 Mile soundtrack, due to watching this film. Ah yes, the film!
8 Mile is kind of a 'semi-autobiographical' tale of young Marshall Mathers III. Although it doesn't tell the story of Eminem's life and meteoric rise to fame, the actor/singer/performer admits that the film has many parallels with his own life.
It charts the life of one Jimmy Smith Jr, who is know to everyone (including his own mother!) as B-Rabbit. ("When he was born he had these big ears and buck teeth... just like a widdle wabbit!") Jimmy was living with his girlfriend in Detroit, but splits with her early in the film and heads back to the trailer his mother lives
in on 8 Mile road. His life is a pretty hum-drum existence, working all the shifts he can at the local sheet metal pressing plant, pressing out car panels.
Living back at the trailer park is hard for Jimmy, who has to deal with his mothers alcoholism and also the fact that she's shacked up with an old school 'associate' of Jimmy's, Greg Buell. Greg is also never short of a can of beer, and doesn't work due to a car accident that is due to pay out a hefty sum real soon.
Jimmy's only escape from his life is in his music. He is constantly listening to hip hop and rap on his walkman, always making notes and writing down lyrics of his observations on his hand or scraps of paper. Jimmy has the chance to showcase his talents at the local 'rap-battles', basically a timed vocal fight with the contestants using words rather than fists to put down their opponent. The result is decided by the watching, baying crowd. Jimmy however is reknowned for 'choking' on stage, unable to recall the lines he had worked so hard to remember. ("Oh, there goes gravity, oh there goes Rabbit he choked, he's so mad but he won't, give up that easy..." - Lose Yourself)
Jimmy's best friend Future (a brilliant perfomance from Mekhi Pfeifer) also compéres these battles, and along with Jimmy's other friends, instill the confidence in him to perform to his potential.
The film has dark overtones with various gang fights leaving Jimmy beaten to a pulp and his mate Cheddar Bob with a gunshot wound. But it's at one of these confrontations that Jimmy meets Alex, played by Brittany Murphy. Jimmy and Alex hit it off (including an excruciating sex scene in the factory!) and he thinks that this girl could be the one to help him achieve his ambitions. It turns out that Alex would happily hop into bed with anyone to fulfil her own ambitions, and although Jimmy is hurt he puts more effort into doing what he's good at.
Obviously and predictably the film does see Jimmy finally overcome his nerves to take on all-comers in the battles, and I have to admit, some of these are superbly done. Only after watching the DVD extras did I realise just how good these battles were. They weren't scripted at all on Eminem's part as he thought it'd be more realistic to do everything 'off-the-cuff.' Like I said, a very talented guy.
As good as this film is (and trust me, it is good) I do believe Kim Basinger is mis-cast as Jimmy's fit-but-alcoholic mum. You can't really take her seriously I'm afraid. Otherwise the acting is first rate, particularly from the sultry Brittany Murphy and the incredibly cool Mekhi Pfeifer.
The Oscar nomination calls for Eminem to receive a gong I feel however are a bit like the sex scene - Not entirely necessary and a bit premature! He's good, but then he's doing his job! If I was to star in a film about graphic designers I'm sure I'd be a very passable actor. (Although in truth, the film would be shit!)
Overall, a gritty, humourous in places and very enjoyable film. The DVD extras are good too - normally I don't bother with these but you get to listen to tracks from the film and see the 'behind-the-scenes' rap-battle footage I mentioned earlier.
As for Eminem, another string to his already multi-stringed bow. The boy has talent, and I'm very sure this won't be his last foray into the world of films.
Good stuff!
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Production Year: 1997 - Drama - Director: Gillian Armstrong - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Ralph Fiennes, Cate Blanchett, Ciaran Hinds, Tom Wilkinson, Richard Roxburgh
Production Year: 2004 - Drama - Director: Nick Cassavetes - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over, 12 years and over - Starring: Rachel McAdams, Ryan Gosling, Gena Rowlands
i watched this film last night and thoroughly enjoyed it. My husband said to me near the end (as he sat working on the computer in agony (I think) listening to it.) "Your not telling me you are really enjoying that film!" Yes i did, i thought the sotry line was exciting and the rap battles superb, like you I had to watch the extra rap battles. Brilliant. A film I would watch again. By the way i am in mhy 50's so you can see my husband's point of view But I love the rap and hip hop for some reason and i think it helps to be open minded to the youth down the years. Great film and your review covered it well. Linda
samileo 07.10.2003 16:23
This is one of my fave films, saw at cinema 3 times and now own on vid and practically know word for word lol, sad i know! Ive written my own op on it but just wanted to see what other ppl had written. i enjoyed reading your op :)
Rap star Eminemmakes a strong movie debut in8 Mile, an urban drama that makes a fairly ... more
standard plot fly through its gritty attention to detail. Jimmy Smith (Eminem), nicknamed B Rabbit, can't pull himself together to take the next step with his career...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Rap star Eminemmakes a strong movie debut in8 Mile, an urban drama that makes a fairly ... more
standard plot fly through its gritty attention to detail. Jimmy Smith (Eminem), nicknamed B Rabbit, can't pull himself together to take the next step with his career...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
8 Mile explores a week in the lives of a group of young people struggling to find their ... more
way in urban decay of 1995 Detroit. For people like Jimmy 'Rabbit' Smith, Jr. (EMINEM) and his friends, hip-hop is the only thing standing between them and the void...
![8 Mile [DVD] [2003]](http://picnicb.ciao.com/uk/78537781.jpg "8 Mile [DVD] [2003]")
Jul 22nd, 2003
(Jul 23rd, 2003)
very helpful by (100%):
