Movie Review Hustle and Flow

Hustle and Flow (2005)

Directed by Craig Brewer 

Written by Craig Brewer

Starring Terrence Howard, Paula Jai Parker, Anthony Anderson, Taraji P. Henson, D.J Qualls, Ludacris

Release Date July 22nd, 2005

Published June 21st, 2005 

Certain artists make their statement with such passion that you can't help but be moved. Jimi Hendrix's guitar could sound like a chainsaw but was played with such passion that you could not help but listen intently. Bruce Springsteen's lyrics, be they about heartbreak or happiness, delivered in that raspy scream or sorrowful whisper are similarly moving. Writer-Director Craig Brewer captures a glimpse of this kind of passion in his film Hustle and Flow. The story of a Memphis pimp who dreams of escaping the ghetto for the world of a rap star, Hustle and Flow delivers a powerful look at the kind of unyielding desire that creates great music.

Terrence Howard stars in Hustle and Flow as Djay. Pimping 20 dollars out of the back of his Caprice classic, Djay has reached the age where his father, a garbage man, died. His age has caused a revelation for Djay.  He begins to feel his life slipping away and an emptiness that his current business cannot fill. He confesses some of these feelings in an exceptional opening monologue delivered to one of his girls, Nola (Taryn Manning).

At home Djay has, not only Nola but also Shug (Taraji P. Henson) pregnant and put upon, and  Lexus (Paula Jai Parker). Because she can't work Shug is raising Lexus's child, Lexus also works as a stripper and her independent income makes her often difficult to deal with. Needless to say, Djay's surroundings contribute heavily to his sense of desperation.

Then, in a chance encounter in a gas station, Djay hooks up with an old high school buddy named Key (Anthony Anderson). Working as a sound engineer recording church choirs, Key had always dreamed of opening a studio to produce rap records. When Key brings Djay to church to hear the choir, the music inspires Djay to finally express his thoughts musically.

With Key's help, and the help of a skinny white kid named Shelby (D.J. Qualls), Djay records a rap record with the hope that if it's any good he can get it in the hands of a local rapper, Skinny Black (Ludacris), who is returning to town for one night only. He knows if Skinny Black here's his music he will make it big, get out of the ghetto and live happily ever after.

Hustle and Flow has a familiar rags to riches in the music biz plot. Movies as varied as A Star Is Born or Glitter have mined this same plot to varying degrees of success. What sets Hustle and Flow apart is  Craig Brewer's artful direction that takes cues from 70's blaxploitation and modern music videos and Terrence Howard's visceral and feral performance. And finally the music, which is an impactful and impassioned brand of hip hop from the streets of Memphis called Crunk.

Craig Brewer directs Hustle and Flow, his second feature after the obscure The Poor and Hungry, with a style and flair that perfectly captures its place but remains timeless. Brewer happened upon the story from his own midlife crisis. Reaching the age his father had died at, 27 years old, Brewer felt compelled to do something lasting and combined with a unique run in with a Memphis pimp while scouting locations for another film, Hustle and Flow was born.

The film captures a version of Memphis, Tennessee, from the heat to the hustle, in a way similar to how Martin Scorsese captures his New York City, that way that feels definitive and true. Amy Vincent's cinematography brings the humid, sweat soaked streets of Memphis to vivid life while production designer Keith Brian Burns creates sets that have a lived in feel so familiar you could swear you've been in that place.

Terrence Howard is electric in a complicated, hard-bitten performance. The character is uncompromising and not always a good person but his music and his all consuming desire to escape his despair make Djay sympathetic whether he strives to be or not. Howard does all of his own rapping in the film and shows an exceptional and unexpected talent for it.

What a great year for Terrence Howard. His powerful supporting performance in Paul Haggis' Crash is a remarkable turn. Now with Hustle and Flow, Howard has the kind of one-two punch that Jamie Foxx had in 2004 with Collateral and Ray. Howard does not have the big studio support that Foxx had last year, which makes him much more of a longshot come Oscar time, but it's unquestionable that both performances deserve recognition.

The lasting effect of Hustle and Flow comes from the film's soundtrack. With contributions from Memphis rap stars 3 Six Mafia and Al Capone and Terrence Howard's incredibly adept raps the music rings with the character's desire and desperation. Capone and 3 Six Mafia wrote all of Djay's raps but indeed it is Howard himself rapping in the film.

The music, with titles like "Whoop That Trick" and "It's Hard For A Pimp", have the raw power and resonance of rap music before it was co-opted and forced into the mainstream. Before rappers became consumed by their fame and began writing more about Cristal Champagne than about what was really happening on the streets.

Terrence Howard is emerging as a huge talent. Crash was a wake-up call and Hustle and Flow is a full on announcement of Terrence Howard's formidable gifts. Combined with arguably the year's best soundtrack and the phenomenal direction of Craig Brewer, Terrence Howard makes Hustle and Flow one of 2005's all-too-rare must-see pictures.