Hustle and Flow [HD DVD]
May 31, 2008
The idea of a soulful pimp as the hero of a movie will strike some viewers as objectionable and perhaps even repellent, but Terrence Dashon Howard’s complex and fierce performance will challenge such easy moral decisions. DJay (Howard, Crash, The Best Man) hustles a small stable of whores, including corn-rowed Nola (Taryn Manning, A Lot Like Love). When he learns that former local rapper turned superstar named Skinny Black (real life rapper Ludacris) is coming back to town for the 4th of July, DJay teams up with a frustrated sound engineer (Anthony Anderson, Kangaroo Jack) and a geeky musician (DJ Qualls, Road Trip) to put together a demo tape that he hopes will be his ticket to fame and fortune. What’s most impressive about Hustle & Flow is that it doesn’t oversell its hero. DJay’s aspirations are more economic than poetic–he’s not out to create art, he just wants a better life. This lack of pretension allows the movie to capture a genuine sense of how creativity can improve people’s lives, which surprises DJay as much as anyone. The movie’s other strength is a keen eye for social behavior, in particular the ways in which DJay manipulates everyone around him. Howard, who’s almost always stood out in every movie he’s made, plays these scenes with what can only be called smooth desperation. The entire cast gives substantial performances, but it’s Howard who drives the movie irresistibly forward. –Bret Fetzer
Customer Review: Surprise Surprise
I absolutely didn’t think I was going to like this movie. As a rental, it’s been in my house for more than two months, but finally on this cold GA night, I popped it in and was blown away. Being from Memphis myself, this film easily captured the poor sector masterfully. Granted Djay and his ho’s are not your ordinary heroes, but it’s that elusive what-happened-to-my-dream feeling that truly taps into the audience’s heart. I know I’m late to the party, but Bravo. This movie is well worth seeing.
Customer Review: Outstanding
The picture looks good, like the other poster said “it is supposed to be that way.” This movie is all about the music though, so do it some justice and watch it on a good home theatre set up. Terrence Howard is great in this as well as the rest of the cast. Don’t get turned off by the fact that the main character is a pimp, he is just trying to make something out of himself. Buy from here…
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