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Jimmy Smith a.k.a. Rabbit (Eminem) is a young blue-collar worker who finds his place in the
hip-hop club of best rappers in Detroit.
He is at the same time struggling to live his sub-urban life with the failed marriage of his mother and disturbed childhood of his younger sister. His struggles come to blow after the break-up with his girlfriend that leads him to a lot of fights and troubles involving his peers, his rivals in the hip hop club, the lover of his mother, and even with his mother. When the events in his life seems irreconcilable, he finds himself in the encouragement of his peers, understanding of his supervisor at work and affirmation of his mother. At this point, his friends see the opportunity for Rabbit to get up from the low moments of his life make up from losing in the battle with the best rappers like him. But will Rabbit take the challenge and make it?
The movie 8 Mile successfully presents a character-focused story with the compliment of good
production design that provides a better understanding of the role of Rabbit.
The editing, however, fails to establish continuity in some scenes. Nevertheless, the overall sound and musical score are commendable. A few lines in the dialogue are supposed to be deep in meaning but are actually overkilled by four-letter word delivered by the actors. The film tackles how rappers in Detroit deliver and perform their impromptu rhymes to outdo fellow rappers and eventually gain the respect of their friends.
Young people may easily identify with the movie especially that rap music currently
proliferates their world and it features the famous rapper Eminem.
But, actually, more than a youth-oriented film, 8 Mile can be considered an inspirational piece for viewers young or old. The film shows how a responsible son values the family and is concerned about his mother and younger sibling. Like wise, a simple affirmation of a mother may signal the lighted path for a problematic son like Rabbit to take on. The film also shows that the friendship exists not only for fun but also for moral support in times of trouble. Further, the film confirms that no matter how low a situation may be, the person should be firm about what he wants and not lose hope.
(Date reviewed: January 24, 2003)
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