Hustle and Flow
Added 9/23/2009
great movie. Took a while to receive it from the sender but it came in the condition described when purchasing.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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Worth Watching
Added 8/19/2009
I would give this DVD five stars for the actors, and stunning performances. I selected Hustle and Flow to see Taraji P. Henson's performance, and she was great as Shug. Terrence Howard was phenomenal as Djay. Anthony Anderson brings a lot of heart to his role, and DJ Squal added even more humor into the mix. I'm not sure about Tryn Manning. She fell short on complexity of character, though in the end, she does get to have her dopey say, though most of the credit would go to the film editors. I'll say her hair stylist and costumer did an excellent job.. A huge perk was Issac Hayes' appearance as Arnel.
Unfortunately, the character themes would be: Pimps are just doing what life sets down before them; prostitutes are ridiculous, ultimately have hearts of gold, and are still, at the end of the day, glam; tricks are the same old slobs that they always were; and gangsta rappers are gun totin' roustabouts. Nothing new, fresh or realistic here.
The script and direction of the film are ... interesting but didn't leave me with much viewer satisfaction. The action in Hustle and Flow was predictable, at best.
Don't get me wrong. Hustle and Flow is worth watching in spite of its flaws. In addition to the excellent acting, this film has great hair styles, costumes, locations, and cars to set the scene and the ambiance. The song `It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp/Whoop that Trick" won the 2006 Oscar - Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Song, so there you have it.
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Animals mistreating other animals
Added 8/15/2009
The fact that this movie have such a high review is sort of scary; because it proves how stupid and ignorant a vast majority of people truly are. The main character is a Pimp who manipulates and mistreats everyone for his own interest.
To this pimp, a microphone is worth more than a young woman's integrity.
How in the world am I suppose to sympathize with that? I had realized that the poorer and less educated people are, the worst and worst they take responsibility for themselves and their community and this movie is a classic example of it. I put up with a lot of crap lately from Hollywood, they threw stupid movies in my face like Hellboy, Kill Bill, Fast and Furious Tokyo Drift and the list goes on. But this pure garbage of a movie, I simply cannot and will not tolerate. Giving it one start was too much already, I wish I can give it .2 starts. This movie is an insult to the human mind (if you have one).
1 out of 6 people found this helpful.
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Still not sure if people who like it are serious...
Added 8/9/2009
I know "if you can't say something nice..." I enjoyed it, but - and I almost feel bad saying it, because of the critical and popular success "Hustle and Flow" has enjoyed - in a "Show Girls" kinda way. I think "cartoonish" is the best adjective I can come up with. "Corny" is about right... I know a lot of people, whose opinions I respect, who like this movie - and I did find it entertaining - but I'd be really surprised to see anyone defending it a few years down the line. The story, dialogue, acting: all pretty silly, but it is an entertaining "party movie" (once you realize that it's a cartoon). My advice is to expect some light-hearted laughs (and maybe that was my misstep, expecting to take this movie seriously.) Sorry to be mean, but I think the money's been made, etc. Disclaimer: I don't get a few things that everyone seems to dig, like the band REM, for example.
0 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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Pimps are good people too
Added 7/17/2009
This film does has some creative juices. But its soul is dark. It celebrates evil. But not like "Natural Born Killers" or a Manson or crazy war movie. You sense a real determination to "sell" the idea of the pimp as a a normal, acceptable community member, and THAT is what is HORRIBLE, and ultimately SO INSULTING TO BLACKS.
A pimp - who is a predator of the soul, uses a woman to sell her sex, helping her to forsake her pride, self-respect and independence in order to seek approval (love) from the man within this sick pimp-prostitute syndrome. This portrays the pimp like the hero. To wisden his aura of acceptability in this role, Jesus is brought in to be made irrelevant and spit on as well. Two church-goers are enamored by the pimp's music and are 'won over' without the slightest objection to what the pimp DOES in life. Maybe the church is run by Reverend Wright.
However, Taryn Manning continues to deliver excellent performances, as she did in Britney's Crossroads. terence Howard also great.
1 out of 5 people found this helpful.
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Best of the Best
Added 3/12/2007
Hustle & Flow (UMD mini for PSP) was a great film for the PSP. This goes right along with having Conan and Scarface.
1 out of 2 people found this helpful.
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Fantastic!
Added 11/19/2005
Gritty and raw!! It was refreshing to see an honest portrayal of poverty without the usual melodrama. All of the performances were great, and I found myself singing along with the soundtrack even though I could never imagine that profession. I see why John Singleton produced this movie. It was much better than many of the major studio releases. I would not recommend this for anyone under 17 (hence the R rating), but acting as if this behavior doesn't exist, won't make it go away. Anyone who says it glorifies prostitution/pimping missed the point entirely.
One reviewer asked why they were always sweating. I'm not shocked that reviewer gave it a negative rating - apparently they didn't understand much of anything. And considering the quality of most bootlegs, I'm surprised that reviewer felt qualified to write a review. See a 'real' copy for yourself!!
5 out of 5 people found this helpful.
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Ready, set,...'Flow'
Added 11/9/2005
Every dog has his day. So is true with most actors. Hustle & Flow is Terrence Howard's day.
He plays DJay, a pimp going through a mid-life crisis. He's 35, and has nothing to show for his life. He lives in a house with no air conditioning along with a pregnant Shug (Taraji P. Henson), skinny white Nola (Taryn Manning), and ungrateful Lexus (Paula Jai Parker). He runs into an old school pal Clyde (a surprisingly good Anthony Anderson), and convinces him to help him record some tracks for a demo he's hoping to hand over to Skinny Black (Chris "Ludacris" Bridges), a former school mate who is now a platinum rapper. By handing Skinny over the tape, DJay hopes he can make it big and finally leave behind his life of failure.
Howard give an Oscar-nomination worthy performance in a role that requires a certain machismo yet a soul of pain and depth. He commands the screen with a power rarely seen.
First time writer/director Craig Brewer gives us a story of inspiration, hope, persistence, courage, and passion. It may not be totally original, but it has a heart many films nowadays are missing, and unfolds in unexpected ways.
I was absorbed by every second of this film. This is one of 2005's finest films.
3 out of 3 people found this helpful.
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