8 Mile
Dir: Curtis Hanson
2002
***
Curtis Hanson and Marshall Mathers' 8 Mile is actually quite good. I say this out of surprise as I was convinced I would hate it. It is not without fault however, some of the scenes I feel should have been cut, left on the cutting room floor and duly burnt and then pissed on but these horribly schmaltzy scenes are made up for with genuinely powerful moments. Eminem can act (maybe it's all an act?) and the story was solid. The script could have been better but Curtis Hanson kept it together relatively well and the performances worked. The highlight for me was the ending, it was somewhat predictable but what I liked about it most was that our protagonist, hero if you will, went straight back to work after the stories final conclusion, sending out a positive message without descending into Hollywood slush.