Set in 1995, in Detroit's 8 Mile, the dividing line between the city limits and the northern suburbs,"8 Mile" the movie is a hip-hop fable built around the life of Eminem (A.K.A. Marshall Mathers) the Grammy award winner rap artist. Jimmy Smith Jr. (Eminem) is a white-trash high-school dropout but he is an aspiring rap artist. He is 'Rabbit' to his mother. Jimmy works in a metal-stamping factory and lives with his deadbeat mother (Kim Basinger) in a trailer park around 8Mile Road. Jimmy hangs out with his best friend David Porter 'Future' (Mekhi Phifer), the happy Dreamer Sol (Omar Benson Miller) and the gun-toting Doofus Cheddar Bob (Evan Jones) as well as aspiring activist DJ Iz. Jimmy has a romantic affair with Alex (Brittany Murphy) who tries to escape Detroit by sleeping with all the wrong people.

Jimmy's gift of verbal agility allows him to cross the border between north and south but the barrier of race was a hard one to cross. When he was entered a face-to- face rap-off at a local club, he was choked. But he realizes that his entire future and his hope of getting out of Detroit depends on making it in the hip-hop world where the best rappers battle each other with abusive lyrics.

The rest of the movie is about getting him back to the club by his friends who believe in him, so that he can win the next contest.This feature film debut of the controversial artist Eminem, is directed by Curtis Hanson (Oscar nominee L.A confidential) in which he presents an environment where everything was something else before, just like the life of Eminem.

Cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto ( Frida) has captured Detroit in all its decay. "8 Mile" has a powerful theme, which is a unity of black and white America, a white kid invading black inner-city turf. With this film Eminem had proved himself as a skillful actor, more than just a rap artist with rage in his lyrics. All other performers are terrific. The movie has a powerful end.

Overall the movie is good.