Review of Hustle & Flow (2005) by Geoffroy B — 06 Dec 2008

A really great tale that left me oddly conflicted at the end.

I liked Terence Howard's work here. Playing our hero, D Jay the pimp / pusher / hustler, he doesn't attempt to make him likeable (which he certainly isn't). Using everyone around him to acheive his goals, you get the sense that he doesn't actually sacrifice anything (unlike his ladies) to get what he wants but you still want him to succeed. That's clever work on Howard's part.

The scenes where he puts his tracks down with his buddies (inc. D.J. Squalls very likeable) are great to watch, you really feel the excitement in the room as things start to come together. All of the characters are nicely defined and as much as I liked Terence's work here, I thought that Taryn Manning's Nola was the most affecting character. Unsure of her place in the world and wanting something more than just existing, she provdes the film wth some really heartbreaking moments. The scenes towards the end where she declares "I'm in charge" was a really nice moment and the fact that she becomes D Jays saviour gave this film a great pay off for me.

I liked this film a lot and the fact that I am conflicted about whether D Jay deserves to acheive his dream makes this even more interesting.