Oddly compelling

Rating: 8/10 (19 May 2006)

Great acting and writing propel this fairly straightforward drama.
The plot is well-known by now. A low-life pimp tries to get out of the life by becoming a hip-hop artist in this acclaimed drama from writer and director Craig Brewer. Set in the ghettos of Memphis, TN. The soundtrack is as dirty and gritty as the characters and story from the film.
Despite the film's clichés, despite the difficulty in feeling affection for a repulsive pimp ... this is an oddly compelling, very watchable film. The pimp's "meeting" with famed rap artist "Skinny Black" is a scene that will go down as one of the most memorable in cinematic history.
And you do end up feeling affection for the pimp. Job well done by the director of this!