8/16/2023 0 Comments Hustle and flow filmBowdlerise: Key suggests that DJay tone down the lyrics in one of his songs so that it can be radio-friendly.Bittersweet Ending: DJay goes to prison for 11 months, but on the outside, his songs are starting to get airplay, suggesting that he may become a success after all.It's the first overtly romantic gesture between them. Big Damn Kiss: Shug plants a giant kiss on DJay to wish him luck before his meeting with Skinny Black.DJay angrily confronts and beats Skinny Black when the latter shows no remorse for drunkenly tossing the former's mixtape in the toilet. Asshole Victim: Although the punishment might not have fit the crime, Skinny Black qualifies.Anti-Hero: DJay is a pimp and drug dealer who'll do just about any other low-level crime to get by. It won an Academy Award for Three 6 Mafia's theme song "It's Hard out Here for a Pimp". It tells the story of a small-time hustler, DJay, who yearns to express himself artistically and pull himself out of the ghetto. It celebrates art, hope, and dreams, and you don't have to like hip-hop to appreciate the message or the way in which it is delivered.Hustle & Flow is a 2005 drama written and directed by Craig Brewer and starring Terrence Howard. But don't let that dissuade you - Hustle & Flow is worth a look. Winning the Audience Award for Best Dramatic Feature at the Sundance Film Festival is rarely a mark of distinction. Every time Hustle & Flow appears to be drifting too deeply into feel-good territory, the director reels it back in by employing a sudden act of violence (or something similar) to act as a splash of cold water. And real-life rap figure Ludacris (who also appears in Crash) has an effective turn as the crass Skinny Black.īy adopting a tone that incorporates offbeat humor and occasional doses of the grim, grungy reality surrounding DJay's life, Brewer avoids a fatal descent into the saccharine maw that often ingests underdog-triumphs motion pictures. Henson amplify the film's emotional content. Anthony Anderson and DJ Qualls provide their share of comedic moments, although they're not present entirely for comic relief. It's in part due to Howard's multi-faceted performance that we develop a bond with DJay and eventually root for him to find a way out of the pit. In many ways, DJay is not a likeable individual - not only is he a pimp, but he's a drug-dealer as well, and he often resorts to violence as a way to solve problems. This is an opportunity for him to show his chops as an actor, and the role is a challenge. Howard is the rock upon which the film rests. Finally, there's the concluding chapter, in which DJay encounters the harsh realities of trying to break into the rap industry. The second, and most compelling of the three segments, centers on the development of DJay's hip-hop single, and how it grows from ramblings scribbled on a scrap of paper to a polished track. The first introduces the characters and establishes their circumstances. Hustle & Flow follows a traditional three-act structure. So, with the help of local producer Key (Anthony Anderson), and a skinny white guy named Shelby (DJ Qualls), he embarks upon making his dream a reality. He claims a high school connection to Skinny Black, and if he can record something and get a copy to the star, he might have a shot. When big-time rap artist Skinny Black (Ludacris) announces that he's "coming home" for a private party, DJay sees an opportunity to be noticed. His dream is to record a hip-hop album and use the fame and fortune accrued from that as a catapult out of his current economic situation. Pimping may be DJay's vocation, but it's not his love. Lexus (Paula Jai Parker) is arrogant and confrontational, and her attitude frequently rubs DJay the wrong way. Because she's pregnant, she's not on the street. Henson), carries a torch for DJay, and he for her. Because of her age and skin color (she's white), she has the best earning power. Nola (Taryn Manning), the youngest, views DJay as a father-figure. DJay shares a house with his three hookers, all of whom have different relationships with him. Terrence Dashon Howard, who can also currently be seen in Crash, has the lead role of DJay, a pimp with a heart as gold as one of his teeth. Never fear, though - writer/director Craig Brewer respects his characters too much to leave them in an unredeemed state. For most of its running time, Hustle & Flow follows familiar patterns, deviating only during a third act that brings the street's grit into what initially appears to be a happily-ever-after fairy tale. Hustle & Flow takes a clich? and imbues it with new life through the virtues of directorial flair and talented acting.
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