Review: Hustle & Flow (B+)

Hustle & Flow (2005)
Directed by Craig Brewer
Starring Terrence Howard, Anthony Anderson, Taryn Manning, Isaac Hayes and Ludacris
MPAA: R
Grade: B+

Review by Bobby Nashville

What could have turned out to be just another "rapper with a dream" film was made special by the incredible performance of Terrence Howard. Hustle & Flow is a fantastic film and although it is a bit uneven at times, it retains it's focus and eventually comes across as true.

Terrence Howard stars as D Jay, a Memphis pimp that is going through a mid-life crisis. He has two women working the streets for him, but they both are giving him grief. He hates his profession, the dead end that lies ahead of him and the demons from his past. He realizes that his only way out may be to put the feelings that he has down on paper, and those rhymes down on tape. He enlists friends to help him and he struggles for one last shot at a better life.

The acting job by Terrence Howard in Hustle & Flow is Oscar worthy. I sincerely hope he is nominated for this performance. Howard is also incredible in one of the year's best films, Crash. Terrence Howard's rhyming style is excellent and the music in the film is very good. The story is made believable because of the performance by Howard.

The supporting actors in Hustle & Flow also are excellent, especially Anthony Anderson as Keys, a church going man that risks his family to help out D Jay. Ludacris makes a decent cameo appearance here and it's also great to see Isaac Hayes acting in a serious role again. Hustle & Flow is a tremendous film. Don't miss this one.