Thoughts on 8 Mile

From the director of the highly suspenseful

50s crime drama, LA Confidential

a modern-day musical, revival of the genre,

A hip-hop tale with vitality and timbre

There's only 8 stories for any storyteller

Here, under the umbrella of “Cinderella”,

The lifetime dream finally come true

Recognition of unrecognised virtue

Overcoming obstacles apparent in their lives

Goodness triumphant after being despised

You might think that sounds like a film that I've seen

It was called “The Rap Rocky” by Empire magazine

As much as I'm a member of the Eminem fandom

And although I admire the works of Curtis Hanson

The 8 Mile movie that no doubt you've seen

It can't be denied was let down by routine

Sorry to the cast and crew, not gonna let 'em off,

but seriously, what was the point of Cheddar Bob?

And seriously, you were surprised by the cops

chasing you down after you'd fired the paintball shots

Splattering paint all over their car,

so you hide, leaving them wondering where the hell you are?

After beginning and middle, you know what must follow

The conclusion of the riddle landed just hollow

Rabbit feels his car plant days are through,

but the audience feels only de ja vu

Rabbit must progress himself to a higher mission

and to prove he's the best this requires nihilism

He knows that he has skill, there's nothing missing in his voice

He's broken through the rap scene of Michigan's Detroit

To win the contest of the slickest lyricist

He must show best there's no-oone as ill as this

He slags himself off in a selfless way

and takes away the argument, there's nothing left to say

It's the self-berating theme became so popular

Here are some films with that feel I've got for ya

Fight Club and Old School had the same vibe, oh,

The same can be said for American Psycho

His nihilistic style became a success

And Mekhi Phifer gave him the contest

But to get to his goal he must stay as the best

A broke-ass rapper on the cusp of greatness

So he turns down the opportunity to co-host

and chases his own goals that he's hoping for most

And there the film ends, Rabbit winning and mighty,

In a Michigan club in the middle of the nineties

He's hungry for fame, career on track

Aside from the fact he doesn't have a contract

So the film concludes with that one disparity

So I guess like in Rocky there's a similarity

in that when the titles roll and the film ends

he still hasn't achieved goals, received dividends.

My main critique and my attack on the story

is that basically all it is is “the rap Rocky”

As described by Empire and many other critics

Curtis Hanson held the fuse, and Eminem lit it

Although I enjoyed, a suggestion if I may

If the production had been made in an entirely different way

If the film had been made as a traditional musical

The press would have found it more critically reviewable

Finally I dedicate these video lyrics

To those involved who aren't around to hear it

My heartfelt condolences to the families collectively

of Brittany Murphy and Proof respectively.