00s Movie Review - 8 Mile

Director: Curtis Hanson
Genre: Drama/ Music
Runtime: 110 minutes
Year: 2002
Starring: Eminem, Kim Basinger, Mekhi Phifer, Brittany Murphy, Taryn Manning, Omar Benson Miller, Anthony Mackie, Michael Shannon

Description: Follows a young rapper (Eminem) in the Detroit area, struggling with every aspect of life, wants to make it big but his friends and foes make this odyssey of rap harder than it may seem.

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2023 MOVIE CHALLENGE.
WEEK 18: A MOVIE ABOUT MUSIC
 
Review: “8 Mile” tells part of the life story of Marshall Mathers, made famous as Eminem, and more or less plays himself in his film debut. It is the story of a white boy in Detroit, who hangs out mostly in black circles, within a community defined by rap culture and neighborhood rivalries. B-Rabbit, the character Eminem plays, belongs to this community because he is actually just as disenfranchised as the black youth: he lives in a trailer, barely educated, poor, with an alcoholic mother and an estranged father.

The few bright spots in his life are his little sister, his loyal group of friends and his remarkable rap talent. Encouraged by his best friend Future, Rabbit ventures into the exclusively black rap battles, rap duels in which opponents must verbally beat each other up. And the audience decides who the winner is.

It’s pretty straight-forward how the story will largely unfold, no surprises here. Eminem does do a fine job and has enough conviction to keep us interested. And these rap battles are the highlight of the film. It’s a solid film with an equally solid story, but nothing spectacular.

Rating: 3/ 5

00s Movie Review - Don't Say a Word

Director: Gary Fleder
Genre: Drama/ Thriller/ Crime/ Mystery
Runtime: 113 minutes
Year: 2001
Starring: Michael Douglas, Sean Bean, Famke Janssen, Brittany Murphy, Oliver Platt, Lance Reddick

Description: When the daughter of a psychiatrist (Michael Douglas) is kidnapped, he’s horrified to discover that the abductor’s demand is that he breaks through to a post traumatic stress disorder suffering young woman (Brittany Murphy) who know a secret…

Review: When the infant daughter of psychiatrist Nathan Conrad is kidnapped, the abductors do not demand money, but ask Conrad for a service. He must extract a six-digit code from a mentally disturbed teenager.

The story is nicely put together, but you can’t escape the impression that we have seen all this before. The storyline and plot twists will not surprise a seasoned moviegoer. Director Gary Fleder did much better on “Kiss the Girls”, which did have the tension and surprises we all want from a movie in this genre. Nevertheless, the movie is entertaining enough for an evening of suspense.

Rating: 2,5/ 5

90s Movie Review - Clueless

Director: Amy Heckerling

Genre: Comedy/ Romance

Runtime: 97 minutes

Year: 1995

Starring: Alicia Silverstone, Paul Rudd, Stacey Dash, Brittany Murphy, Donald Faison, Wallace Shawn, Breckin Meyer, Jeremy Sisto, Dan Hedaya

Description: Rich high school student Cher (Alicia Silverstone) tries to boost a new pupil's popularity, but reckons without affairs of the heart getting in the way.

Review: “Clueless” is a teen comedy directed by Amy Heckerling, who was also responsible for “Fast Times at Ridgemont High”. You could see “Clueless” as a satire, that is loosely based on Jane Austen’s novel “Emma”.

If there is someone that belongs in the ‘in-crowd’, it’s Cher Horowitz. She is almost sixteen, rich and very popular. Some might think she is shallow, but selfish… Anyone can go to her for advice about the more important things in life, like dating, shopping and looks. Cher and her best friend Dionne decide to give new girl Tai a make-over, because Tai is totally clueless. But that causes for a lot of unwanted change in Cher’s life.

Cher is played by Alicia Silverstone, who broke through with this role. She is perfect for the role. You could say it’s all very over the top, but that’s what suits this film.

“Clueless” is a fun film and a favorite with the girls who were teens themselves when the movie came out. The dialogues are catchy and some of the teen problems are pretty recognizable.

“Clueless” has it all: charm, intelligence, humor and romance. It’s a shallow film with layers and a healthy dose teen humor. No matter how many times you see it, “Clueless” entertains me every time.

Rating: 5/ 5