Hustle & Flow

Anchored by Terrence Howard’s jaw-droppingly phenomenal performance, Hustle & Flow comes off as a fiercely original, thoroughly engaging effort that firmly establishes Craig Brewer as a major presence within the filmmaking world. Howard stars as Djay, a sleazy pimp/drug dealer who decides he wants something more for his life and subsequently embarks on a quest to become a rapper (Taryn Manning and Taraji P. Henson costar as helpful whores, while Anthony Anderson and DJ Qualls pop up as Djay’s musical collaborators). Brewer has infused Hustle & Flow with a gritty authenticity that quickly proves impossible to resist, and there’s little doubt that – if nothing else – the film succeeds solely as a compelling portrait of Memphis’ seedy underbelly. Brewer’s ability to elicit effective work from even the most minor of cast members is remarkable, as underwhelming actors such as Anderson and Qualls turn in surprisingly convincing performances (there’s never any question that Howard owns the movie, however). And viewers with little appreciation for rap music will find it difficult to resist the exhilarating sequences in which Djay and his crew produce songs from the ground up, with the creation of “It’s Hard Out Here for a Pimp” (which deservedly went on to win an Oscar) an obvious highlight. Even the inclusion of a few contrived third-act plot twists can’t dampen Hustle & Flow‘s overall effect, and there’s certainly no denying the film’s status as one of the most ingratiating inspirational tales to come around in a while.

***1/2 out of ****