Written & Directed by: Craig Brewer
Cast: Terrence Howard, Anthony Anderson, Taryn Manning, Taraji P. Henson, DJ Qualls, Ludacris and Isaac Hayes
Runtime: 116 min
Rating: R
Trailer

Writer-director Craig Brewer opens Hustle & Flow with a close-up of Djay’s (Terence Howard) sweaty face in the midst of a speech on the nature of man and the relationship he has, as a Memphis pimp, with his prostitute Nola (Taryn Manning). Speaking in a thick southern accent and gravely voice, Djay spins his take on the differences between a man and a dog, and the nature of self awareness. This speech is important for two reasons. One, it’s important to establish character and the relationship he has with Nola, his one viable asset (if that term can be used when talking about a prostitute). And more importantly, it endears Djay as a literate and intelligent person, one who wants to break free from what he has, in order to go on to something better. In a word, Djay has a dream. This is particularly important when your main character is a pimp, a profession that is at once despicable and susceptible to parody. The point is that Djay’s struggle to become a rap artist, or a viable member of society, is something anyone watching the film can relate to, and is universal in its message. The opening speech effectively draws the viewer into an environment that is hot and saturated with hues of yellow and reds, bringing to mind the exploitation films of the ‘70s.

Hustle & Flow’s narrative is told as a classic underdog story. It’s basically Rocky meets 8 Mile. Djay, through a series of serendipitous events, meets up with an old high school friend named Key (Anthony Anderson, proving that he can act when not acting like a moron in his other films), who has an ear for music and a dream of becoming a producer. With the help of Key and another struggling musician, Shelby (DJ Qualls), they turn Djay’s small room into a make-shift DIY music studio that includes, among other things, a small lava lamp. The scenes depicting the creation of Djay’s songs are without a doubt the best in the film. Brewer goes through all the steps: the beat, the lyrics, finding a “hook” and the processes of recording it all in one take. The fact that the songs are inane and pretty generic is a fault of the film, no doubt, but because you can’t help but appreciate Djay’s tenacity in attaining his dreams, it’s easy to overlook it. Of course, it could be said that Brewer ignores the violence, misogyny and the business of rap music. The fact that all anyone in the group is worried about is creating a hook can be seen as an indictment on the state of the hip-hop industry, an industry more concerned with hooks and singles than it is with actually helping push the genre into new territory. How else can you explain Lil Jon’s career? Hustle & Flow would have received a higher rating if the songs were any good, but regardless of that, Brewer’s writing and assured direction, with Howard’s phenomenal acting, ensures that Hustle & Flow is one of the best films of 2005.

Richard X
© Cinephile Magazine, 2006

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