I’ll admit, I entered the film distracted. When I read in StudioBrief that Ann Hornaday, a Washington Post movie critic, had labeled Eminem‘s mouth “aristocratic” I just had to find out what the hell that meant.

I still don’t know, but now that I’ve seen the movie and read her review (the way-too-cutely titled “The Reel Slim Shady“) I conclude that she does know what she’s talking about — at least as far as acting and pacing is concerned.

Eminem is definitely watchable. Even at rest he has an intensity that draws your attention. Still, there isn’t much to work with here, both in terms of his available range as an actor and what the script offers. It takes a long time to get to an ending that everyone knows is coming. (The vaunted rapping is a small fraction of screen time, and the rest is less compelling.)

Mr. Mathers does have two interactions with a gay man that seem designed to soften his homophobic image. The effect is somewhere between contrived and convincing, but it’s a start.

Final verdict: acceptable. And I’d watch Eminem again.

This entry was posted on Saturday, November 9th, 2002 at 11:58 am and is filed under Film.. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.