An Entertaining Hip Hop Fantasy

Rating: 7/10 (25 July 2005)

"Hustle & Flow" shows the power of ambitious arts expression among poor and working class folks that recalls "Billy Elliott" and "The Commitments" though crossed with "Rize" and "Glengarry Glen Ross" as these characters are more Mamet-ish than "The Full Monty."
The initiating plot device of a home town success's return as a networking aim or a big audition has been done before, including in showing how a community or faux family bands together to support the aspirant, but writer/director Craig Brewer showcases some original elements, especially in the ironic conclusion.
Brewer is helped enormously, beyond some of the stereotyped, if very funny, language in the script, by the heartfelt cast. The film belongs to Terrence Dashon Howard, from the opening focus on his mouth, and he is electric in conveying "DJay"s calculating and changing moods, from salesman to paternal partner to artist to enforcer.
Anthony Anderson well plays a very different hard-working, a bit hen-pecked if loving husband, than his gang leader in "The Shield" but is positively charming.
Ludicrous has to play a bit more of stereotype, as a gold-toothed rapper, than his low level criminal in "Crash," but is quite good.
While the women characters are considerably problematical as to why they are even with these guys except for being dumb or some possible abuse in their backgrounds that has led to their lack of self-esteem and/or drug addiction (including in their self-denying appearances as the black women have hair straightened or died blonde and a blonde with hair extensions) despite some occasional signs of rebellion, the actresses surmount that to create very individual people with burgeoning hopes of their own, as they hesitantly are drawn into "DJay"s fantasy, including one's role as "principal investor."
The cooperative artistic creation process is among the best scenes in the film, even if has an updated Mickey Rooney/Judy Garland "Let's put on a show!" feel.
Dedicated to the late Sam Phillips, the founder of Sun Records, and co-starring legendary songwriter Isaac Hayes, the film portrays a bit of a fantasy of a cross-section of the Memphis African-American community from the '50's to the present in its diverse musical soundtrack and look, even as it finally recognizes that times have changed, from musical equipment technology and air-conditioning to showing that the cops and prison guards are also black.
It is kind of wistful to think a jheri-curled, rapping pimp would have a blues station button set on his radio, consider Otis Redding his singing idol, cry at gospel in church, as the hip hop culture isn't usually so old school, not to mention the odd boast that hip hop originated in the South, especially as the final catchy product sounds like last year's summer, Bronx-created hit "Lean Back," even if the language still won't get it radio play. Memphis, though, is so evocative of music, that almost every shot recalls its history, like the bridge that overlooks where Jeff Buckley drowned.
Without quoting Langston Hughes, certainly all these characters are haunted by the theme of "What happens to a dream deferred?" even if hip hop culture isn't quite the Harlem Renaissance.