My Take on the Movies
A Mini-Review of
HUSTLE AND FLOW
By: A. L. "Toni" Anderson

I saw Hustle and Flow (2005) on the initial day of its release to the theaters, and I am glad I did not wait! This gritty film is directed by Craig Brewer, and produced by John Singleton (Boyz in the Hood).

The “hustle” in the title means just that. DJay (Terrence Dashon Howard of 2004’s Crash) is a low-budget pimp, whose main lady Shug (Taraji Henson) is pregnant, and currently out of commission. With stripper Lexus (Paula Jai Parker) also out of pocket (due to an extremely bad attitude), it is left to Nola (Taryn Manning) to produce whatever income is not brought in by marijuana sales.

The “flow” refers to DJay's long-buried ambition to be a rapper, brought back to life by a Casio keyboard purchased from a crackhead for $25. “Everybody gotta have a dream,” and for DJay, this is his.

Just by coincidence, DJay runs into childhood friend Key (Anthony Anderson) at a most fortuitous moment in time, and their respective dreams mesh. Key has access to mixers and various pieces of equipment, and to sound man Shelby (DJ Qualls), who is more than eager to leave his delivery job. The only remaining fly in the ointment is Key’s wife Yvette (Elise Neal of The Hughleys), whose squeaky clean image is so prevalent that it threatens her own job advancement.

DJay recalls famous rapper Skinny Black (Ludacris) from their teen years, but as is normally the case, Skinny Black does not remember DJay. Club owner Arnelle (Isaac Hayes) facilitates their reacquaintance as a favor. However, DJay’s hopes of turning the re-introduction into fortune for himself is the point on which the entire movie revolves, for better and for worse.

The mean streets of Memphis, Tennessee are displayed in a decidedly disadvantageous light, but except for DJay’s almost unintelligible accent, the story could have played out in any inner city in the U.S. of A. The hood is peopled by any number of do-rag wearing tricks and all manner of thugs, all trying to get theirs—whatever theirs may be.

Fine-ass Terrence is getting a bit long in the tooth for the pretty-boy roles he is famous for, but he still has one more roll of the dice in him. He plays this “pimp with the heart of gold” to a T. This one has my vote!

[© 07/22/2005]