From: Eric Baker
To: Adam Kempenaar, Sam Hallgren
Subject: The Rap's The Thing
Could I get a word in edgewise, guys? It's amazing how much Adam and I share the same brain (and probably Sam too, though I've only met the guy once). Before seeing "8 Mile" and reading the Movie Club, I had the same "Rocky"/"Raging Bull" notions, as well as thoughts of Howard Stern's "Private Parts" as a baseline for comparison. I also like the discussion about how expectations can impact how one views a film. I have gotten to the point where there isn't any movie I rush out to see on opening night, with the exception of a David Lynch film, but with all the hype surrounding movies these days, it's impossible to go into a showing with a blank slate. I got pretty much what I expected with "8 Mile," which is to say an average movie. But if it had been as good as "Punch-Drunk Love," I would be fellating the film. First things first: as Sam indicates, Eminem can't act, but he doesn't really have to. Just like Howard Stern, who also cannot act his way out of a paper bag, he's not required to do anything but be himself. And the with the short chronology of Rabbit's life we are given, it really doesn't require much depth. Is there anything more cliche than the opening scene, where the protagonist takes stock of his situation by examining himself in the bathroom mirror, splashes some water on his face to ground himself, and somehow summons the strength to move on. Perhaps not, since director Curtis Hanson uses it again later in the movie. This is certainly not Hanson's best work, but one thing he always accomplishes is taking us to a place most of us have never been before and immersing in it. Still, watching the first half, it struck me on a gut level (setup for Adam) how the movie is just like an Eminem song: nothing is original, except the precise details of the story, just like Rabbit's lyrics in his "battles." The scenes are sampled, just like Eminem's songs for the soundtrack, sprinkled with differences here and there that make them easy to listen to/watch. I have no problem with this, but I think we can all agree the best parts of the movie are the "battles," and I got the notion too many times that the rest of the film was just buildup fodder for the Rocky-like sequences you guys have already mentioned. A major problem to overcome is that these cutting contests are freestyle art forms, and you are asking actors to replicate that intensity in a movie setting. At least Eminem supposedly has experience with these battles, but there is something irresistably innocent about the documentary "Scratch" that isn't there with "8 Mile," which is perhaps the scratching opposed to hurling vicious insults at your opponent. Deep down that probably influences my opinion of this film more than I care to admit. After watching it, much like reading an article in the Iowa City Press-Citizen or the Chicago Tribune's RedEye, I have to ask 'so what; why should I care?' Because it's Eminem? Because he's famous? Because he's the only one who apparently likes his little sister (tell me that's not a transparent script choice)? Because he's the only white guy in the movie (remember suburban white kids are the target demographic)? Or is it, as I suspect, because Eminem displays the same sense of street justice that made Allen Iverson more popular after he beat his wife? It's probably a moot point for most viewers, but I see no difference between the Rabbit in the beginning of the film and the end, except that he had the cajones to step on stage and deliver. In fact, once I know the Rabbit by the end of the movie, I think he's kind of a dick, which makes me not give a damn how he does. But I suppose there's something to be said for the ambiguity of the ending, as Adam points out. Two final notes: 1) Has Brittany Murphy overtaken Helena Bonham Carter as the hottest dirty, dirty girl in movies? (Memo to Joe Horaney: Am I alone on this?); and, a point I haven't noticed either of you guys mention 2) Kim Basinger can really act in this movie. Granted, she only gets about 15 minutes of face time, but she delivers the goods.
-Peace out
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