Review of Hustlers (2019) by Jluis_001 — 21 Sep 2019

This is an incredibly superficial film that's being sold as something with a higher quality than it really has. I'm still surprised by the reaction it got.

Director Lorene Scafaria adapts the New York Magazine true story of a group of New York strippers who began to con some wealthy clients by drugging them and charging their credit cards to the fullest.

If you try to watch it as pure entertainment, it's fine, because other than that there isn't really much to grab in.

The story in itself is pretty basic: Dorothy (Constance Wu) is the new girl in the club, where Ramona (Jennifer Lopez) is the big one dancer. Dorothy wants to learn from her and Ramona becomes her mentor to attract different types of men. Especially the ones who are loaded. Basic stuff.

Unfortunately for the story that's where everything starts to fall apart.

All we know up to that point is Dorothy's ambition, and her ambition is not to depend on anyone but herself and that's fair enough, yet it's never fair enough to justify the whole thing.

I say this because pretty soon the greed shows its face when you're watching these girls drugging these dumb men trying to make you believe they're doing it to continue supporting themselves while they continue their exorbitantly spending.

Right there the balance disappears, no matter how much the director tries to make you believe this is a story of popular revenge, Robin Hood style.

Perhaps the most serious problem is that the film never manages to connect all its themes and above all its own message of paying those rich and misogynist men with the same currency - Because they're Wall Street men and they have done the same with the country - Stinks of enormous hypocrisy.

Especially when as I said, they use the money in superficial purchases, feeding the same capitalist machinery they criticize.

Definitely the films has some strengths but in my opinion not enough to receive the surprising reviews it has received.

The bond between the women is pretty good and yes, Jennifer Lopez gives her best performance in decades but Oscar worthy? C'mon give me a break.

Constance Wu is good but I never felt her right in the stripper role, I guess I'm just too used to see her like I see her in Fresh off the Boat.

In the end Hustlers feels pretty much like what actual strippers do, it's all just a tease.

Entertaining for a while but after that there's nothing really unforgettable.