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By CityHustle & Flow ***1/2 out of 5
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Hustle & Flow ***1/2 out of 5Great Performance in a Flawed Film
2005-08-07
Article Written by: Todd Darby
Hustle & Flow is based on a time tested formula going back to Rocky and Karate Kid: The underdog has one shot to prove he's got what it takes to make it. The difference between Hustle & Flow and Rocky or even the very similar 8 Mile is that said underdog is an abusive, low life, drug dealing pimp. This pimp, named DJay, is brought to life by actor Terrence Howard, who blew audiences away earlier this year with another amazing performance in Crash.
DJay, who deals pot and pimps hoes out of Memphis is having a midlife crisis. Apparently, he is second-guessing his chosen occupation. Not really out of guilt or regret but that he's not as successful as he had hoped and still struggles to get by. This turns out to be the film's one major flaw. DJay's world is NOT portrayed as glamorous, a fact that is extremely refreshing. Even DJay's working girls are pretty skanky. The relationship between him and his main bread winner, played by Taryn Manning felt like the relationship between Harvey Keitel & Jodie Foster in Taxi Driver (that is, if Travis Bickle hadn't got involved).
After discovering he has a talent for rapping, DJay talks an old high school buddy turned church musician played by Anthony Anderson (Barbershop...was he in that one? yeah, he was) into helping him cut a demo. He is helped by the ultra skinny, gawky, and very white DJ Qualls (Road Trip, the New Guy). Anderson and Quall are both great and fun to watch. The scenes of the three men and a pregnant prostitute turned soul singer played by Taraji P. Henson are magic, plain and simple. They are most entertaining segments of the film. There are so many films about musicians but very few at all show the actual construction of a song. And these songs are really catchy, although lyrically immature (not that I was expecting Public Enemy or anything). As good as an actor Terrence Howard is, he could easily become a rapper. What?! Yeah?! Okay?!
DJay wants to finish his demo tape in time for the return of Skinny Black, a local rapper turned big time star, who is coming back into town for the 4th of July weekend. Skinny Black is played by Ludacris, the real life rap superstar and Howard's Crash co-star. As good as a rapper Ludacris is, he could easily become an actor (like many rappers often do). Terrence Howard is a powerful force in this film. His performance is so deep and layered, he seems lost in his character. You believe every moment that he is on screen. When "pimping", he is cocky angry, and full of himself. When approaching Skinny Black or even first attempting to rap in front of Anderson and Qualls, he is nervous, insecure, and fragile. Terrence Howard should be nominated for an Oscar this next Feb. Going back to the film's one major flaw though, 1st time writer/director Craig Brewer makes the mistake of wanting DJay to be likeable and for the audience to root for him. Even though he does not seem to regret the awful things he has done. In fact, he expects to be rewarded for it and Brewer expects us to think he should be too. He's a pimp! And I ain't talkin' "Pimp My Ride", "Big Pimpin'" pimp. I'm talking a real pimp! Hustle & Flow intrigued me in the beginning with it's initial honesty and realism but at some point it decided to glamorize the unglamorous. The performances (especially Terrence Howard) are brilliant and the recording sequences are superb but sadly it becomes disappointing with it's pat ending and the gritty realism turning into gangsta rap fantasy.
