8 Mile (2002)

I finished up my movie watching goals for the year with '8 Mile' which featured my 12th new Oscar winning best song "Lose Yourself". Perhaps the most surprising thing for me abut '8 Mile' is that it was good, it reminded me of a cross between 'Rocky' and 'Saturday Night Fever'. Set in 1995 Detroit the film stars Marshall Mathers aka Eminem as 'B-Rabbit', the rappers only real film role this character feels as though it might be pretty analogous to him, and perhaps wisely he has limited his subsequent film appearances to cameo roles, he's good in this though, sold. 'Rabbit' is a poor white kid who dreams of being a star in the predominantly black world of rap music, he must prove himself and the film ultimately ends with "a satisfying rap battle." A wonderfully real feeling sense of urban rot to this piece. Good supporting cast highlighted by Kim Basinger as 'Rabbits' mom, and featuring a rather fetching Brittney Murphy as his love interest. There is also a far amount of later to be famous people in this movie including Michael Shannon and Anthony Mackie. Directed by Curtis Hanson at the end of what had been a very strong period for him, including the films 'L.A. Confidential' and 'Wonder Boys'. This isn't something that it would necessarily make much sense for me to like on paper, but I did. ***