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Movies that bang
by Jordan Hiller

Hustle & Flow (2005)

It’s not that the hustler lacks the vision, commitment, or passion to succeed. More often than not these maestros of the gutter possess the qualities Donald Trump might value on The Apprentice. They are ruthless, crafty, and wield a killer instinct – and they need to, or rather are bred to, because the streets are thirsty, and only blood, sweat, and tears will satisfy. The street hustler commonly makes his trade in temptation – he’ll get you high, he’ll get you a woman. Unlike the CEO who Trump just hired, your common hustler focuses all his energies in what could be called the wrong direction. But also unlike the white, middle to upper class CEO straight our of Yale, the hustler comes from a home without role models, in a neighborhood with no opportunity, in a world that begs him to fail and continue the cycle. A prison guard once told me that if only the guys locked up used the same creativity they employ to craft weapons from toothbrushes to start a business, they’d be rich. That is kind of catchy and naive, but in reality, sometimes, sadly enough, the future is so bleak that, barring a miracle, it becomes virtually without hope.

Craig Brewer, a white guy from Memphis, making a fairly serious movie about a pimp/drug dealer turned rapper, attempts to take what I have written above and find within a tale of redemption, to reveal that miracle. My immediate reaction is of course skepticism, much like I felt for Curtis Hanson’s anesthetized 8 Mile and Michael Mann’s under-whelming Ali. At the risk of sounding like a (reverse) reverse racist, there is something that truly irks me about white directors who are pretentious enough to believe they can understand, or identify with the struggle of black people living in ghettos or facing down poverty, enough to bring “their” story to the screen. It’s not like I have issues with forward thinking cinema or creative freedom – just this particular dynamic bugs me…it just feels wrong, or rather, impossible (and ninety-five percent of the time winds up phony and condescending on film).

That said and despite the film being produced by John (Boyz N the Hood) Singleton credit is due to rookie Brewer for pulling off quite the hustle, and displaying some digable flow (for a white boy) in bringing his script to life. Brewer apologetically stated (because he knew the question would come up) that what binds all people are “love of music and language”, and these art forms allow certain themes to be universal. Whether that generality is true or not, he does use both to great effect in the emotionally charged and occasionally inspiring Hustle & Flow.

The movie soundtrack bumps from the outset letting you know that whatever is about to happen over the next few hours, ya gonna feel it. Perhaps the film, fittingly brought to you by MTV, provides more style over substance, but the music throughout is so powerful and haunting that it is difficult not fall under its spell. Brewer uses base lines, drum beats, and synthetic noise, coupled with a few raw moments, to convince you that his movie is bigger than it actually is – pretty good hustle, huh? The plot is no more than an urban fable, and if intentionally so, a great one, but I can’t give Brewer that much credit. None of it makes any real word sense. A philosopher black pimp with a conscious (smooth, involved Terrence Howard), pimping a gorgeous white girl (who is secretly a business guru), meets up with an old friend who has gone suburban, and along with a white choir pianist, have one shot to convince a rap mogul that…so they make a demo tape that…you pretty much know the rest (although Brewer does throw in one last curve ball). I mean this is pretty outlandish stuff perfect for some beat-the-odds Disney movie. Should the movie be grittier and harsher? Yes, but it is almost like the makers premeditated to release it in the summertime when nobody wants to get bummed out in the theatre. So instead, we’ll get one or two token ugly scenes (one of them is absolutely shattering), and the rest of the film will be kind of hard, but also kind of cute and winning. The script, again, a trite work with clichés like, “It’s a one in a million shot G” and “ This shit’s got to work, cause it ain’t over for me” amounts to an apathetic message for the youth in these slums. Basically, make a rap album in your basement or you’re going nowhere (not to mention the film displaying that making a rap hit is pretty easy). Another suggestion inherent in the drama is that to find fame and fortune, commit a crime and get your street cred up. While that is a depressing sentiment, it takes guts (or perhaps immaturity) for Brewer to pose it. The writer/director’s other achievement is giving attention to each of his characters and developing them to a degree that makes the audience care.

How bout I end like this. Hustle & Flow, a summer movie that would have been better if made to be released in January, gets a passing grade, and mainly because it lives up to its title.