Hustle & Flow

Posted by Neil Miller (neil@filmschoolrejects.com) on February 23, 2006

On the streets of Memphis, DJay’s hustle was second to none. No problems were presented in his day to day of running the working girls from back seat to proverbial back seat, and bringing the hottest grown product to the locals. But DJay’s “mode” had never taken him any further than his day to day hustle, leading into his midlife crisis of questioning and unknown paths. His path, though crooked, crossed with that of an old school acquaintance, Key, a Church music record producer who shows key the difference between talking the talk and walking the walk. With the support of the tender yet resolute Shug and the innocuous and avid Nola, DJay takes on his destiny with vigilance and swagger. He soon realizes that his situation, though, is rooted heavily in the real world and that there is more to walking the walk than just having a dream. His realization is that in order to blaze your own path, you have to possess equal measures of both hustle and flow.

The Film
Craig Brewer’s inspirational tale of a Memphis pimp relentless in his pursuit of breaking through his midlife crisis by making his music dreams come to fruition, Hustle & Flow moves with rhythm and edge. It is truly a film with a “mode” that is all it’s own. When you envision the humble beginnings of most great icons of the rap culture, you think gangster or drug dealer, you don’t see a compassionate yet tenacious pimp from Memphis who speaks like a philosopher in order to hustle his way from dollar to dollar. But when you meet the indelible DJay, played by Terrence Howard, you begin to see the reality of life on the streets. In so many ways DJay personifies the delusions of every thug, hustler, and pimp that roams the back alleys of any urban jungle of the South. But where DJay falls short in his morality, he all but makes up for it in the amount of heart and soul that he transfers into his music. But having talent is not enough, his success is also dependent on his strong supporting cast which includes his unlikely love interest Shug, played by Taraji P. Henson,  and his girl on the streets Nola, played by Taryn Manning. The two women seem to act as a balance beam which keeps DJay from slipping completely into the grandeur that he has created for himself in his own mind. They represent his reality, and ultimately they become the driving force behind his unwavering quest to break into the music industry.

In the beginning of this film, I was impressed by DJay’s intelligent dialogue and almost prophetic delivery, but it soon became apparent that it was all a part of his natural hustle. But even though DJay is the epitome of the bottom feeders of society, you are drawn into his masked sense of compassion and responsibility that he takes in keeping the people around him afloat in a sea of sinking lives. The story surrounds you with reasons why DJay should not be the winner, should not be the hero, and should not come out on top. But you can’t help but associate with the emotions of wanting to break free from the everyday grind and take a chance on your dreams, which is what DJay’s quest is all about.

As well when you think of DJ Qualls, the goofy kid from Road Trip, and Anthony Anderson, an actor who has more than made his name synonymous with movies that try too hard to be funny, you don’t think of a heartwarming dramatic supporting cast. But all things being equal they bring light to the already darkened world of DJay, and add a certain naivety that sharply contrasts to the depressed spectacle that is DJay’s reality. Equally supportive are the emotionally wrought performances of Taryn Manning and Taraji Henson, who are strong ladies that keep DJay rooted in his reality. Manning brings us the character of Nola, the uneducated, under appreciated street walker who longs to be something greater than what she has become. She seeks to take charge of her own destiny, just as DJay is doing, and show that her natural talents go further than the back seat of a Cadilac in a dark Memphis alley. Manning is stunningly refreshing as she gives Nola the right amount of naivety to be drawn into DJay’s hustle, yet the strong underlying sense of confidence that brings her own journey to parallel with that of her pimp.

As for DJay himself, played masterfully by Terrence Howard, you can’t help but latch on to his drive and his passion for achieving what he has set out to do. He is raw and his flow is unequivocally authentic, but he shows enough compassion to be known as the hero of this tale. By the end of the flick you are pulling for this pimp who stops only centimeters from murder in order to get to where he wants to be. Howard’s performance is absolutely electrifying and massively dynamic. I cannot remember a film in recent history where an actor can give a character such dynamic range between the hard nosed street hustler and the passionate, soft hearted artist without slipping too far in one direction or the other. And this factor alone carries the film to be one of the best dramas of the past year, not to mention the strong support given to Terrence Howard from both a powerful story and an outstanding supporting cast. Hustle & Flow delivers as advertised, and flows like a meticulously tuned rhyme or a expertly placed beat.

The Extras
While the content of the film itself are reason enough to add this DVD to your collection, the special features are more than complimentary in making this a solid pick. With 4 insightful and revealing featurettes and Director commentary from Craig Brewer, we are easily given an interesting viewpoint into the world created for the hardcore reality of DJay. The special features won’t knock your socks of, but they should ensure the DVD more than the 115 min. running time of the film to be inside of your DVD player.

The Delivery
The DVD version is “enhanced for 16×9 televisions” but is still a tad bit wide for most widescreens. The sound for the movie was excellent for setting the right levels of tension and attitude, but the DVD’s sound is a less than impactful Dolby Digital 5.1 mix. And if you are from France, then you get snubbed by this film. Only English mixes for this DVD. But then again, the amount of slang that his film delivers would have been next to impossible to effectively translate.

The Final Cut
This film jumps of the screen in a raw, unruly manner. Terrence Howard’s performance is spectacular and illuminating. He brings the reality of DJay, the pimp whose dreams have been lost along the way but picks up his life and barrels into his destiny head on. With a strong supporting cast and a well told story, I would say that Hustle & Flow is a more than welcome addition to mine or any one else’s DVD collection.

The Upside:
Strong story, explosive performances by Terrence Howard and his supporting cast.
The Downside:
The delivery of the DVD does not do it justice. Would have liked to see a DTS mix on this one to better recreate the sensational sound mix heard in theaters.
On the Side:
The gold watch DJay wears that belonged to his late father actually belonged to Craig Brewer’s late father and mentor, Walter.

Making the Grade:
The Film: A+
The Extras: B
The Delivery: C-
Overall: A-

Tags: Terrence Howard, Taryn Manning, Hustle & Flow, Rap, Pimping

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