"That's a nice-a donut."
Tuesday, February 07, 2006
Hustle and Flow (2005)
When most people imagine a movie centered on a street pimp and his group of homely whores, the picture tends to be very gritty and violent. Few cheeks will be left unbruised, few minds will be left unmessed with, and few hearts left unbroken. Someone will probably go to jail and somebody else will probably be killed. It will be a sad, cautionary tale, but probably with a lot of artistic merit, and somebody's soul will usually be redeemed by the end (the hooker with the heart of gold, anyone?). It will be the kind of movie you rarely want to see again. But with Hustle and Flow, unknown director Craig Brewer has managed to create the feel good pimp and hoes movie of the year!
DJay (Terrence Howard) is a struggling pimp from the streets of Memphis. He has several regular prostitutes (including Taryn Manning and Taraji Henson), but as he tells one of them in the beginning - he doesn't think they need to be doing that anymore. But what else are they gonna do? It's not just talk though; he's got plans. He has a thrilling desire to become a rap star and to fulfill his dream of recording music and getting it played. With the help of an old friend (Anthony Anderson), DJAy and his hoes get to work on recording in a makeshift room of their beat up old house. Things eventually start to come together, as DJay clearly has a natural talent. The sound is good, but will anyone want to listen? The movie takes a sudden, drastic turn near the end that could make-or-break the movie for some people.
The performances in Hustle & Flow are very good across the board, and are ultimately what makes the movie what it is. Frankly, I could have done without DJ Qualls; he certainly isn't bad, but the role just seems misplaced and miscast. He wasn't able to sell me the belief that this white bread little church boy would be hanging with the rest of these folks. However, Howard, who practically came out of nowhere in 2005, is a revelation. If I didn't know better, and you told me that he was really a Memphis pimp, I wouldn't have even blinked or given it a second thought. If you weren't blown away by him in any of his other recent roles, including Crash and Four Brothers, this should convince you. He is the real deal, and should be a factor in Hollywood for some time. And Manning and Henson as the two main whores are really terrific as well. Any time you thought something would turn into a cliche or go back to familiar ground, these talented actors turned things on their heads.
The soundtrack is also very good, and is highlighted by the Oscar nominee for Best Song, "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp." And, while I doubt it will win (see: "Blame Canada"), it very much deserves to. Not only is the song an integral part of the movie, unlike some previous winners that simply played over the end credits, but it is also a good tune.
For better or worse, Brewer doesn't spend much time providing any background for why these people got where they are. It doesn't really matter though, as the focus is on DJay and his pursuit of a dream. Much of the strength of the film actually lies within the subtle, but tender relationship between DJay and the hoes, who are riding along with him. They are at a crossroads, as they are trying to move away from their past (and present), but realize that sometimes they have to make difficult choices. In short, Hustle and Flow takes a potentially very serious topic and manages to make it fun.
The Verdict: A-
Michael Bentley 9:41 AM
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