Hustlers

Color me surprised when I started to hear that Hustlers, starring Jennifer Lopez as a stripper in New York City, was getting good reviews. 

The girlfriend has wanted to see it and with the 2.5+ hour Goldfinch getting mediocre/bad reviews (plus I surprisingly never read the book) it was off to Hustlers this week as I eagerly anticipate Ad Astra on a very large screen sometime this week. 

Hustlers deserves the hype it's getting, whether you're a female or male member of the audience. It's genuinely entertaining, features some great performances, and tells an interesting tale based on some actual events. 

All of this, plus some very attractive ladies willing to strut their stuff, combines into an intoxicating film that turns out to be one of the bigger surprises of the year. 

One of the elements of Hustlers that I was most enjoying was its story. For probably the first half of the film it seems to be meandering and not quite knowing where it's going...I thought all it was going to end up being was a mentorship film between Lopez' Ramona and Wu's Destiny. Eventually though, we learn that it's related to the 2008 financial crisis and in a lot of ways (including producers Will Ferrell and Adam McKay) shares similarities with The Big Short, just from a much different perspective. No, there's no Fourth-Wall-Breaking moments and it isn't as zippy as that film, but many of the conversations between these ladies feel similar to that film's and it instead tells the story from the perspective of one group of workers that got hit hard. Which, side-note, I'd never thought of that; if Wall Street bros have no money, they're no longer going to the strip club. Who woulda thunk?! Either way, the story - based on true events - is wild once it gets going and it creates a grey space where you're certainly not feeling sorry for these ladies' victims, but you're also not truly in support of them either. 

Likely walking in slow motion to Britney Spears. So yeah...great scene

What a workout!

Honestly, I just had a lot of fun with Hustlers too, as did my audience and the girlfriend. It certainly has plenty of eye candy - done so in an empowering way, not sleazy - and features a fun cast of characters. It's never hilarious, but has small laughs throughout, and there's some wonderful soundtrack pairing that creates scenes for J-Lo that ooze sex appeal and badassedness. Much like the men who were looking for alluring company in these clubs, Hustlers provides both the substantial meat with its story and glitz/glam with its style. 

This cast is also better than it has any right to be, partly in thanks to the writing, but mostly just because they're talented. Those hoping Cardi B and Lizzo are more than just throwaway cameos will be disappointed, but the film utterly belongs to Jennifer Lopez and Constance Wu who share similar screen time. Lopez plays Ramona, an experienced dancer who makes insane amounts of money (dancing, she's not a prostitute) and much like Lopez does in real life, she exudes that "X-factor" that makes her so iconic. Her Ramona is powerful, a boss, smart, and a loyal friend. She takes Constance Wu's Destiny under her wing to teach her the tricks of the trade and the two of them become powerful together. Wu's transformation is interesting to watch as she turns into a similar shade of Ramona, but still maintains an admirable innocence. They completely own the film and I'd be surprised if both of their names aren't doing some rounds in awards season. 

This seems like a fun party. Can I get an invite?

Because of its true story - that ends up being far more interesting than I initially anticipated - Hustlers gains some easy credibility as more than a dance movie for people to oogle and aww at. With its performances, fun moments, incredibly fitting soundtrack, and a couple of knock-out performances from J-Lo and Wu, Hustlers quickly proves it may be more than meets the eye. I certainly know it was for me. 

CONS

• Meanders for the first hour and, in retrospect, this portion could have likely been sped up
• Cardi B and Lizzo feel like shoehorned cameos; I'm not sure the film needed them as they can be distracting
• Feels like it rushes the ending 

PROS

• Jennifer Lopez gives a sexy, powerful, and talented performance as the co-lead
• Constance Wu provides an equally sexy, innocent, transforming performance as the protege
• An interesting story telling the impact of the 2008 financial crisis from an angle you wouldn't have ever thought of
• Remembers to not always be so serious and have some fun. Good laughs throughout with some very entertaining scenes in the club
• One of the year's best and most fitting soundtracks that pumps loud and often with a slow-motion J-Lo
• Style and substance melded together into a surprise film

Rath's Review Score | 8/10