Sweet, positive film w/incredible perf by Howard

Rating: 8/10 (6 June 2005)

Beautifully shot, with an amazing performance from Terrence Howard, who has been working non-stop as of late (Crash, Ray, Their Eyes Were Watching God). Here he burns through the screen, with the intensity of a young Al Pacino. It's a very sweet film (but still macho and gritty for all the guys out there). You rarely see such a detailed, sympathetic portrayal of an "alternative family" formation such as this - here it's a pimp and his current and former girls, who live together and support each other. Also unusual is the detailed depiction of the creative process of rap music - the writing, the layering of the beats, the recording. If you like 8 MILE and/or FAME, you should check this out!