8 Mile

REVIEW
One of the few white boys raised in Detroit's tough 313 area code, a brooding hip-hop poet unafraid to pick a fight and stand up for himself, Jimmy "Bunny Rabbit" Smith (Eminem) mirrors the accepted, possibly mythical history of the man who portrays him. Still living (like most of his friends) with his mom and working a steady industrial job, bouncing from girlfriend to new girlfriend (Murphy in an energetic if token performance), Rabbit comes alive onstage at the regular rap slams where his artistic skills and ego come together in brilliant fashion. At least when he's not dying of stage fright. His character arc is predictable enough that it might as well be written on the popcorn tub, and the one-note friends border on spoofs ("Conspiracy Brother" in particular outstays his welcome). But Hanson's surprisingly gritty direction keeps the events vibrant, and the climactic one-on-one slam is as electrifying as the best western showdowns. The film's ultimate success, however, is due to a terrific, sensitive performance by first-time-actor Eminem, who also contributes songs so controversial, creative and smart that Oscar will never see them coming.