8 Mile review

Marshall Mathers, Slim Shady, Eminem and now plain old Jimmy Smith Jr. Whatever he is called there is no escaping the American rap star and after dominating the airwaves for the last few years, he has now decided to follow a well-trodden path and see if his luck will hold as he makes the transition from pop icon to screen star. It's a dangerous game, as the lamentable debuts by Britney Spears and Mariah Carey have shown (Crossroads and Glitter respectively), with only Jennifer Lopez really succeeding in recent times. So how does Slim Shady stand up?

Remarkably well, actually. Here is an example of a script that is well-suited to its star, guided by a very safe pair of Hollywood hands (LA Confidential's Curtis Hanson). With a very good supporting cast and a story that veers on the interesting side of social realism this pop star film debuts mostly hits the right notes.

Eminem plays Jimmy Smith. It's 1995 and after splitting with his girl, the only place he has left is the trailer home his mother (Basinger) rents and which she shares with her objectionable boyfriend (a nice touch being that he is a former classmate of Jimmy's) and Jimmy's younger sister. Jimmy dreams of success as a rapper, but when nerves let him down at a local rap competition, it seems that is future will lie in the Detroit factory where he earns a minimum wage.

Eminem is not going to win any acting awards for his role, but the producers and director are clearly aware of that. The role of young, angry but aspiring rapper is clearly one he has lived through himself, and his trademark sneer serves him well throughout the movie. What's more he is ably assisted by an excellent supporting cast. Basinger shines as his pathetic mother, while Mekhi Phifer is charismatic as his friend Fortune. Phifer is definitely an actor to watch - after notching up some decent roles lately in films such as 'O' and now this his star seems to be rising. Leading man status is most definitely within his grasp.

So Eminem spends a lot of the movie rallying against the system, trying to overcome the odds and dreaming of better things. He gets a new girlfriend (Brittany Murphy), has a final bash at the rap competition (guess how he does), and sorts out mother's boyfriend. It's not the most original script in the world but it is done with such conviction and no little craft from director and crew, that it is all very watchable indeed.

The movie avoids the soppy sentimentality which so typifies Hollywood attempts at the genre. This is not a hugs and moralistic affair, but often comes across with a documentary feel about the lack of hope among America's underpaid and forgotten youngsters. Avoiding a suitably clichéd ending and opting for a low-key final scene affords that rarest of feelings: when the audience actually wonders what does happen next.