Eminem goes extra 'Mile' in new film

By Nicole Rodriguez

Nobody thought Eminem would do much with his acting debut. To put it bluntly, critics were expecting "8 Mile" to be nothing but another version of the Britney Spears bomb "Crossroads." However, rapper Eminem proves once again that appearances can be deceiving as he transitions into the acting world as smoothly and successfully as he moved into the music one.

Eminem plays Jimmy Smith Jr. a.k.a. Bunny Rabbit, a white blue-collar worker who longs to make a name for himself in the black-dominated rap world. However, despite his obvious talent, he is ridiculed and booed off-stage for the color of his skin before he gets a chance to show his stuff. He is the joke of his peers, a wannabe they tauntingly call "Elvis Presley."

Directed by Academy Award nominee Curtis Hanson ("LA Confidential," "Wonder Boys"), "8 Mile" proves to be a smart, edgy coming-of-age drama filled with appropriately gritty scenery that serves to bring the viewer right into Jimmy's lower-class world of lost dreams and trailer parks in terms that never seem cliched.

Hanson has made a name for himself by eliciting memorable performances out of his actors ("Confidential" won Kim Basinger an Oscar and jump-started the career of then-unknown Russell Crowe), and he continues to live up to his reputation in this film.

Basinger is fabulous in her turn as a young, unwed trailer trash mother of two. Her character is simultaneously pitied and hated. The audience is sorry for the turn of luck that brought her to this point in life, but we are frustrated with her lack of effort to change things for herself and her children.

Perhaps most surprising - and most satisfying - is the performance elicited out of Eminem. Drawing from life experiences similar to his character, Eminem flawlessly conveys the pain and frustration of the rejection and reverse racism he encounters as a white man thrust into a black-dominated environment. He brings us down to his level and draws us into his world so effortlessly that eventually it becomes impossible to envision any other actor in the role. Nobody else could possibly have the combination of experience and ability to convey Jimmy's essence so completely.

This is by far the most successful musician-to-actor transition since Barbra Streisand won an Oscar for "Funny Girl" in 1969. One can only hope he continues his pursuit of Hollywood in addition to musical career.

The only down point of the film is found in Scott Silver's ("The Mod Squad") scripting. While the first hour of the film is an elegantly penned glimpse into the lives of the characters inhabiting the 8 Mile trailer park, the second hour leaves something lacking. Silver opts to stick an unrealistically happy ending on a very dark story, and everything ultimately falls together in a too perfect finale that leaves the audience feeling oddly cheated.

This drawback aside, "8 Mile" proves to be a fabulous example of filmmaking that exceeds everyone's expectations. You'd be crazy to miss this one.