Eminem, 8 Mile Get Recent turns playing himself in Entourage and the Adam-Sandler-has-cancer movie Funny People show Eminem as a self-conscious and wooden performer - nothing close to the smart and hyper-alert intensity he brought to his portrayal of Jimmy "B-Rabbit" Smith, Jr. in 8 Mile. Granted, his character, a white rapper trying to make a name for himself in the rap battles that take place on Detroit's noisy stages, might not represent any great acting stretch, but the erstwhile Marshall Mathers digs deep into the role: he fleshes out and makes real Rabbit's journey of self-discovery and empowerment - and, as it turns out, he's not too bad at dropping killer rhymes. OTHER NOTEWORTHY PERFORMANCE (S): Apart from the occasional cameos in TV shows, video games and long-form music videos, Eminem has not taken any significant roles since appearing in 8 Mile. Next: Björk, Dancer in the Dark Björk, Dancer in the Dark There are sad films. There are depressing films. And there is Dancer in the Dark. Set in a small factory town in rural Washington, Lars von Trier's tale of secrets and sacrifices takes the tired tropes of melodrama - death, poverty, even impending blindness - and turns it into a harrowing and hallucinatory dark fantasia about the American Dream. Playing Selma, the long-suffering factory worker who toils to pay for a medical procedure for her young son, Björk is absolutely mesmerizing - what she lacks in formal training as an actress she more than makes up for in emotional investment. The film's not for everyone - it possesses an artiness that's almost confrontational - but it's worth checking out for the Icelandic rocker's brave, brilliant and instinctual performance. OTHER NOTEWORTHY PERFORMANCE (S): Björk, who reportedly had some creative differences with von Trier while shooting of Dancer, has not since appeared in a Hollywood movie. Next: Meat Loaf, Fight Club