CURTIS HANSON

Bil’s rating (out of 5):  BBBB

USA/Germany, 2002.  Imagine Entertainment, Mikona Productions GmbH & Co. KG.  Screenplay by Scott Silver.  Cinematography by Rodrigo Prieto.  Produced by Brian Grazer, Curtis Hanson, Jimmy Iovine.  Music by Carol Fenelon.  Production Design by Philip Messina.  Costume Design by Mark Bridges.  Film Editing by Craig Kitson, Jay Rabinowitz.  

Producer Brian Grazer saw the potential of acting charisma in rap star Eminem and commissioned screenwriter Scott Silver to write a story that would loosely revolve around the megastar’s own experiences:  breaking out of the Detroit hip hop scene and making it to the big time. What Grazer and director Curtis Hanson have come up with is an entertaining melodrama that overcomes Silver’s unremarkable script with believable situations, excellent dialogue and brilliant performances. Eminem himself is a natural, perfectly putting his larger than life personality across for mass audiences to enjoy, and he gets ample support from Kim Basinger as his troubled, trailer-park living mother and Brittany Murphy as his kindhearted but not desperate girlfriend. Hanson hasn’t lived up to the reputation he started with L.A. Confidential and Wonder Boys, but this is still a cinematic treat that is just as much worth seeing as those two classics.

Academy Award:  Best Original Song (“Lose Yourself”)

European Film Award Nomination:  Screen International Award

Golden Globe Award Nomination:  Best Original Song (“Lose Yourself”)

Toronto International Film Festival:  2002