Hustlers: Review by @Kush_Hayes
I somehow missed the boat on Lorene Scafarias “Seeking a Friend for the End of the World” when it was released in 2012. After seeing Hustlers, I would very much like to go back and finally see her debut feature. Thats due to some really cool scenes that she wrote and directed in the 2019 Jennifer Lopez feature, “Based on a True Story” and adapted from a magazine article to the big screen this weekend.
The rest of this movie, its a lot better than I thought it would be. I was happy to see Scafarias showed how unstable that Constance Wus character is in this timeline of her story that takes place between 2007 and 2015.
When we meet Wus character, Destiny/Dorothy, shes already a dancer. The new girl at the club, after striking out at the other club across town. But we are never informed what she used to do before that. Shes about to hit a deadend quick til she meets Jennifer Lopez character, Ramona. More on both of them in a bit. As we follow Dorothy, its not clear immediately that shes giving an interview to Julia Styles, and within the story there are subtle changes as we go, but Dorothy is meek, hollow, nervous, sympathetic and when shes Destiny, with Ramona by her side, shes cool, calculating, confident. And then when she needs her narrative to be, shes empathetic and innocent and just trying to support her family. Its the interactions between Dorothy and Styles character, that we see shes anxious, irrational, and unstable when it comes to what was right and wrong, justifying drugging and robbing people. Shes 100% confused why Styles is horrified and attempts to pass it off as “this is just how its done”.
Not to be rude to Miss Wu, I think anyone could have played her character.
Jennifer Lopez owns her role as Ramona, the Ring Leader to this crew. But I have to say part of me thinks she might have held back. There are a few times when people cross her character and the worst thing Ramona does in this movie is just disconnect from the turncoats. All three times this happens, I thought “Theres no way this character didnt assault these people.” - of course a simple work around on this is that this story is again from Dorothys POV and at times she is protective of Ramona. A big theme in this film is “Control” to the point that Janet Jackson theme from 1986 plays over our beginning and ending credits. Jennifer Lopez is definitely in control throughout this whole film, from her acting to her characters actions. Ramona always has an answer, is never discouraged and can overcome everything, even when shes forced to quit the clublife temporarily and gets a regular retail job. She is definitely the best part of this movie, and despite how much she is in this, you wish she was in it more.
This movie is trying to market to the hiphop audience with the casting of Cardi B and Lizzo. Ill admit it, Im out of touch, I dont know who either of these women are before this movie. I can tell you that in this 1hr 49 min movie, these two combined arent in this more than ten minutes. Theyre in it so little that the one celebrity cameo of Raymond Usher is a quarter of their combined screen time. If youre watching this movie for either of these ladies, youre being hustled. Honestly, I think its this movies biggest crime.
I wish this movie had explored more of the gritty lifestyle in the club not just with the dancers, but with the club staff and the club patrons. We get glimpses of these other parts to the machine, but theyre blown through very quickly. I feel like we could have cut some of the repetition of the drugged victims, and shown more of the club environment. At one point Ramona warns Destiny that violence will happen occasionally and then its never a thing. The dangers of that job are very real for the dancers and this movie never really focuses on that. Again, its a POV experience, so maybe she had one of the better experiences.
This movie was much better than I thought it would be. Im pleased this didnt try to make light of the crimes committed in this story. I think it shouldnt have tried to exploit a few personalities. I think its one of Jennifer Lopezs best performances. I think it could have been 20 mins shorter. I think the few comparisons of this to Goodfellas arent completely unfair. Great soundtrack. In the final act, I think we get some creative uses of sound that makes me wonder why we didnt get more of that during the rest of the movie. I want to see more from Lorene Scafaria. I think this movie will be perfectly fine at home with a good sound system.
Four out of Six Blueberries
Rated R for pervasive sexual material, drug content, language and nudity
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