Jim Sheridan, by all means a winning director, can take any project and turn it into a successful motion picture event. The project (a movie) in his hands will not only be successful; it will also be good, or better than good. I know this without having seen any of Sheridan's previous films; but the story says there are directors that turn everything they touch into gold
And I don't mean money.
To compare this Sheridan film with Curtis Hanson's "8 Mile" is unavoidable: both movies are about the lives of rappers; 50 Cent an Eminem are intimately connected because the latter one helped launching the career of the first one; and last, both movies are controlled by recognized and respectable directors. If that wasn't enough, this film and "8 Mile" are equally good.
In "8 Mile", Eminem called himself "the Rabbit", when everybody knew he was telling the story of his life. Here, Curtis Jackson (50 Cent) calls himself Marcus, and goes rapping by the name of "young Caesar", which is a nice detail to put slices of fiction in the picture. However, many people know that 50 Cent almost lost his life; and that he had it rough.
The film's screenplay, by Terrence Winter, includes every detail of the language of the neighborhood, the gangs, the attitudes and the business. You see, 50 Cent was black, and he wanted to be and became part of the big business; but Eminem: he was a white boy who had a lot of talent with rhymes These are two different stories.
The way I see it, Sheridan did a fabulous work in getting the best out of Curtis Jackson's limited acting abilities. He doesn't achieve the high level that Eminem did in "8 Mile", but he doesn't stay behind either. Besides, his supporting cast (with the hand of the genius Avy Kaufman) accompanies him better than Kim Basinger, Brittany Murphy and Mekhi Phifer accompanied Eminem.
50 Cent got Joy Bryant, who's good but still doesn't do it for me; Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, who's great and should have been Emmy nominated for his portrayal of Mr. Eko in "Lost"; Terrence Howard, a touch of class and unlimited talent; the ever respectable Bill Duke and some other names that make the ride entertaining.
Because 50 Cent also got into my heart, with his sassy smile and his peculiar way of rapping; his jokes and his fights The man had quite a life, and quite a way to put it into words. Jim Sheridan triumphs, 50 Cent triumphs, and the movie triumphs to; because of that simple smile it gets out of you when it's over.
It's not going to make you want to buy the rapper's albums as "Walk the Line" makes you want to buy Johnny Cash's entire career; but it will make you respect the artist's position, his talent and his success.
To compare this Sheridan film with Curtis Hanson's "8 Mile" is unavoidable: both movies are about the lives of rappers; 50 Cent an Eminem are intimately connected because the latter one helped launching the career of the first one; and last, both movies are controlled by recognized and respectable directors. If that wasn't enough, this film and "8 Mile" are equally good.
In "8 Mile", Eminem called himself "the Rabbit", when everybody knew he was telling the story of his life. Here, Curtis Jackson (50 Cent) calls himself Marcus, and goes rapping by the name of "young Caesar", which is a nice detail to put slices of fiction in the picture. However, many people know that 50 Cent almost lost his life; and that he had it rough.
The film's screenplay, by Terrence Winter, includes every detail of the language of the neighborhood, the gangs, the attitudes and the business. You see, 50 Cent was black, and he wanted to be and became part of the big business; but Eminem: he was a white boy who had a lot of talent with rhymes These are two different stories.
The way I see it, Sheridan did a fabulous work in getting the best out of Curtis Jackson's limited acting abilities. He doesn't achieve the high level that Eminem did in "8 Mile", but he doesn't stay behind either. Besides, his supporting cast (with the hand of the genius Avy Kaufman) accompanies him better than Kim Basinger, Brittany Murphy and Mekhi Phifer accompanied Eminem.
50 Cent got Joy Bryant, who's good but still doesn't do it for me; Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, who's great and should have been Emmy nominated for his portrayal of Mr. Eko in "Lost"; Terrence Howard, a touch of class and unlimited talent; the ever respectable Bill Duke and some other names that make the ride entertaining.
Because 50 Cent also got into my heart, with his sassy smile and his peculiar way of rapping; his jokes and his fights The man had quite a life, and quite a way to put it into words. Jim Sheridan triumphs, 50 Cent triumphs, and the movie triumphs to; because of that simple smile it gets out of you when it's over.
It's not going to make you want to buy the rapper's albums as "Walk the Line" makes you want to buy Johnny Cash's entire career; but it will make you respect the artist's position, his talent and his success.