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Banned: For Being So Fly.....lol....my new account is Triple Sixes....
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Hustle & Flow Review
IP: 0D11 88C9
Is there beauty in degradation? That’s the essential question surrounding your potential enjoyment of “Hustle and Flow” – a movie with a pimp as its central character.
To be certain, this is not some homage to “The Mack” or other Blaxploitation flicks that often lauded criminals and hustlers as Black heroes; rather, “Hustle” is a character study in redemption. Can a man who sells women’s bodies be anything more than a pariah? Is he defined by his hands or by his heart? Ultimately, it is on Terrence Howard’s back to make us feel compassion for him and, without a doubt, he does just that. Not only does he make Memphis pimp DeeJay an unlikely hero, but he brings dimension and depth to an identity often overblown and sanitized in the world of hip hop. If the premise of the film – DeeJay’s trek from pimp to rapper – seems too contrived and silly for you, I’m telling you to reconsider. This is a wonderful film.
Dripping with atmosphere and a deep, summer heat that pours off the screen “Hustle” immediately situates you in a place and time. Watching the world go by from his jalopy/office is DeeJay, a man you’d easily mistake for no one special. He spends his days sweating in his car, as potential customers roll up to buy his goods. His goods mainly consist of Nola, his scary-thin White prostitute who sits next to him like an obedient lapdog. With a head full of too-long braids and booty shorts, she too is trapped in a world of anonymous men and alleys. But early on, there is no sense that DeeJay wants out.
But all that changes in one of the films most touching moments. After buying a handheld keyboard, similar to one he had as a child, from a crackhead on the street we watch DeeJay become transfixed by $10 of cheap electronics as he clumsily types out notes in a parking lot. DeeJay has reached an impasse in life . Now at the same age his father was when he passed, DeeJay realizes he has two options, do nothing or live passionately – something it’s not clear he’s ever done.
Howard is positively magnetic, expertly capturing the Midwest twang and inheriting a skulking walk to match the mischievous glint in his eye. But he’s just as capable of registering awe, regret and fear as DeeJay begins navigating the unsure waters as a fledgling MC.
Not everyone is in his corner, either. Paula Jai Parker, who plays a hoochie-mama with surprising accuracy, plays Lexus, one of the women on DeeJay’s payroll. She reminds DeeJay of the biggest secret behind pimping – that he is just as dependent on her as she is on him. Perhaps more so. To the unsuspecting eye, DeeJay and his “ladies” could appear like brothers and sisters. Maybe not the Huxtable clan, but related nonetheless. They are related in pain and tragedy – much of which is simply implied but sincerely felt. Real pimping often means living with, providing for and taking care of your “hoes.” In other words, 50 cent doesn’t know what he’s talking about.
But there to support him is the pregnant Suge (Taraji P. Henson), who acts as both mother figure and potential love interest. Henson makes maximum use of her globe-round eyes in conveying undying love for a man who profits from her body. Also, there to help is Anthony Anderson as an old high-school chum who works with his church choir. Like DeeJay, Key (Anderson) has dreams outside his normal life that include producing hop-hop beats. The two regularly meet up in DeeJay’s squalid house and fashion a make-shift studio out of the bedroom and tons of egg cartons.
DeeJay’s dream to make it big all hang on meeting Skinny Black (Ludacris), a local rapper who made it big and will be in town soon. As Skinny, Ludacris essentially plays a more aggressive parody of his rap persona. That’s not to say it didn’t take skill; in fact, Ludacris shows a natural on-screen talent seen with folks like Will Smith. He is not eclipsed by Howard, which is saying a lot.
Howard simply rules this film. And it is his performance that will get most of the publicity, but threatening his performance is the film itself. Despite its quality, “Hustle” has the potential to be taken out of context, stripped of its redeeming qualities and only remembered for DeeJay’s catchy, but demeaning song, “Whup That Trick.”
Speaking at the American Black Film Festival in Miami, Spike Lee warned “Hustle” producer John Singleton that we’re “about to get a whole bunch of pimp films.” But Singleton should be used to that. His “Baby Boy,” another powerful and divisive film, also trained its eyes on some of our more trifling qualities (baby mamas, domestic abuse, hustling) and tried to turn stereotypes into real people.
But despite the potential for a pimp deluge, no doubt helped along by hip hop’s fascination with the “profession,” it’s doubtful that any other film will treat it’s subject with the same degree of patience and respect. If history is right, it’s more than likely that the “Hustle” clones will forget that the film is not about a pimp, as much as it is about dreams. It is not a wake-up call or an attempt to exploit an already over-exposed facet of Black life. It is a human story of will and the desire to live a life you never thought you could.
{POSTED IN BET}
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STARTING 2MORROW I WILL BE TRIPLE SIXES THATS GON BE MY NEW ACCOUNT SO THATS ME AIGHT CUZ IM SO FLY......LOL
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07-23-05, 04:07 PM
#1
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