The artist formerly known as Slim Shady slips into yet another persona, this one bespoke, for his screen debut. Part autobiography, part fiction, Jimmy `Rabbit' Smith Jr is a white trash wannabe rapper living on the wrong side of the 8 Mile Road in Detroit. Desperate to escape his job, his mum (Kim Basinger) and his life, he puts fragile nerves on the line by entering a freestyle rap contest.
Shadow boxing on well-trodden canvas and throwing predictable plot punches, the rap Rocky this may well be. But Curtis LA Confidential Hanson's edgy, unsentimental direction keeps it standing. Terrific performances too, especially from Eminem - the searing charisma was a given, but tenderness and vulnerability? Knockout.
DVD Extras:
A sketchy Making Of and the `dirty version' of Eminem's music video `Superman' are included but the highlight is the 23-minute doc Battle Rhyme For Reel Time, a tightly edited account of how Hanson took the risk of allowing 350 extras to enter their own freestyle rap contest. The four winners bagged head-to-head showdowns with Eminem, their battles of wit filmed under the promise of inclusion in the finished movie.
