Well Acted Post-Modern Blackploitation Flick

Rating: 8/10 (6 February 2006)

The "upward economic and social mobility through musical talent" genre has never been one of my favorites. This is, remember, the genre that begot "Glitter." In the past three years, however, the genre has risen high in the ranks of populist entertainment in both its fictional ("8 Mile") and non-fictional ("Ray" or "Walk the Line") forms.
"Hustle and Flow" crackles and pops onto the screen in its first frames as a throwback to character-driven 1970's movie-making that explored a certain criminal or non-traditional subculture of society (ala "Taxi Driver" or "Mindnight Cowboy"). The filmmakers do a great job early on of giving us an intimate and sympathetic, though never glorifying, look into the life of a Memphis pimp and the relationships he has with his environment and hoes. A great ensemble cast and hyper-intelligent script give it a surprising emotional resonance and moral complexity, much in the same way P.T. Anderson peered into the dysfunctional family of adult filmmakers in "Boogie Nights." The characters in "Hustle & Flow" use music in the same way the characters in "Boogie Nights" used filming sex, as an abstract way to connect and communicate with the people around them.
Terrance Howard (previously seen in a pivotal supporting part in the socially conscious "Crash") gives a powerhouse performance in the lead role. He displays a certain gravitas few performers possess, and it's truly put to the test as he is still able to carry the film even as it descends into a series of gangster-rap clichÃ©s in the final thirty minutes. The filmmakers really missed a golden opportunity to put out something that could've served both as a grandiose tragedy (ala John Singleton's "Boyz in the Hood") or biting social commentary (ala "Network" or "Bullworth"). After displaying such promise in the first three quarters of the film, it's ashame they copped out, as their amazing cast and lead performer never did.