MUCH has been made of controversial rap superstar Eminem's film debut and word is the film has been cut to avoid a kiss-of-death 18 certificate that would exclude whole swathes of Slim Shady's natural constituency.

8 Mile refers to Detroit's city line, a psychological barrier between who would-be rapper Jimmy Smith Jr (Eminem) is and where he wants to be. A po' boy trailer park white trash loser whose friends are all African-Americans from Motown's crumbling housing projects, Jimmy lives with his mum (Kim Basinger) and tries to ignore the life she leads with no-hoper boyfriend Greg (Michael Shannon). He scribbles notes, bides his time then strikes for maximum effect. Cool. Hard. Clean.

Tired of the going-nowhere nightclub rap 'battles' run by his pal Future (Mekhi Phifer), Jimmy looks to hustler Wink (Eugene Bird) to get him on the fast track to fame, but needless to say, the road to glory is a rocky one, as girlfriend Alex (Brittany Murphy) is also discovering.

8 Mile is cloaked in an air of desperation, a hopelessness born of frustration and although there is a triumphant ending, it's not the one that might have been expected.

Eminem scowls beautifully, raps with eloquence and exudes plenty of the coarse cheek and black humour that is often overlooked in his music. He's basically playing himself of course, but so what? He's the same age as Robert De Niro when he made Mean Streets and, although it's hard to substantiate a direct comparison, Eminem emanates a similar screw-you intensity.

The film isn't high art. But neither is it a cash-in exploitation flick. It's an American Dream story, a Rocky for the verbal pugilists, and it's more than noticeable that Eminem's character is never shown taking drugs or committing crime.

Equally, given rap's poor relationship with firearms, the only guns featured in the movie are either firmly in the hands of baddies, or are used to comic effect.

8 Mile will more than satisfy fans who will find much to amuse them, but the curtain-twitchers who so readily dismiss Eminem and what he does would do well take a look as well.

NC