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Intriguingly, this is no rags-to-riches story. Nor is it "boy from the hood makes good!" It's instead a quietly personal story about finding the inner courage to go after your dreams. Hanson films it like a very big-budget indie--gritty and edgy, bristling with real life and natural rhythms, and most of all keeping everything small and finely focused. At times it feels like a rap musical, as the songs and the dialog overlap and intermingle. In this framework, Eminem's talent shines. He's a very good actor, grabbing the screen and never letting go, allowing us inside him and making the character a compelling, fascinating person. The story's considerable tension builds because of him and him alone--his relationship with his mother, his new girl, his rivals, his boss, all of this draws us in and helps us identify with him. It's a terrific film debut, although it leaves unanswered the question of his range or versatility. Meanwhile, Basinger delivers a very strong supporting turn, as does Phifer. This focus on the people, not the spectacle, makes it a very involving film indeed-- raw and honest, passionate and energetic.