8 Mile (2002)

Idea: Jimmy "B-Rabbit" Smith, Jr. (Eminem) moves out of his girlfriend's apartment and back into his unemployed mother's (Kim Basinger) trailer. He gets a job at a factory, but his real passion is rap. His best friend, Future (Mekhi Phifer), emcees rap battles - basically rhyming insult fests - and insists that Rabbit join in, but he always chokes. Oh, and he meets a hottie named Alex (Brittany Murphy), who believes that Wink (Eugene Byrd) will help her get a modeling contract, and Jimmy thinks will get him studio time to record his demo.

So let me start by saying saints be praised for Phifer. He is the only thing worth paying attention to in this inanely boring docudrama.

I watched it because someone, at some point, told me that it was good. Or possibly, "not that bad."

Oh, I guess I should throw out some forewarning: Spoilers ahead!

They lied. It is that bad. It's that bad.

Scott Silver's plot/character development is practically non-existent: A girl everyone says is a slut turns out to be a slut. A guy everyone says is a liar lies. My word, how I am taken aback!

And then, nothing really beats the conclusion - Basinger's character wins a tidy sum at bingo, solving their latest eviction crisis. Rabbit finally raps, and he wins the battle by turning the tables on the "Free World" crew.

I was shocked to my very core by that one!

Of course, what can we really expect from the moronic writer-director who thought that remaking The Mod Squad would be wise?

What really hurts is the idea of Curtis Hanson (director) at the helm of this sinking ship. He makes L.A. Confidential, he makes Wonder Boys, then he makes this trite piece of slightly perverted garbage.

Why do good directors go bad?