Hustlers looked like an absolute flop upon release of the trailer. Nothing about the movie screamed, "surprise hit of the year" to me. If I held a gun to your head and said, "Name 5 good Jennifer Lopez movies or I'll kill you," there would be a lot of dead people. When I also saw the film was starring experienced thespians such as Lizzo and Cardi B, I felt a flop a-coming. I am so happy to say that I, Greg Rothgeb, was wrong about a movie for once in my life, and Hustlers was a pleasant surprise.
Hustlers tells the morally ambiguous tale of a group of ex-strippers who took advantage of Wall Street bankers and essentially drugging and robbing them. In the hands of a lesser writer-director, the film would have been an exploitative tale that fell flat. However, Lorene Scafaria crafts a feminist romp that consistently debates the virtue of the women's actions. I suppose we are at a point in time where we are able to reflect on the late 2000's/early 2010's with pinpoint accuracy, which Hustlers is able to exemplify. From the visuals, to the hand-crafted soundtrack the film exudes the period of time.
I can't say enough about the performances in the film. I wasn't sure Constance Wu was able to carry a lead role on her own, but god damn it, does she do it! Her raw performance is reminiscent of Ray Liotta in Goodfellas, as someone who is chasing greed while attempting to maintain an unmanageable life. The next statement I am about to say is something I never thought I would say: Jennifer Lopez deserves a nomination for Best Supporting Actress. It is perhaps the most complete acting job she has ever done in her career. Even though Cardi B played a version of her actual persona, I was craving for more of her in the film as a comedic foil to a surprisingly emotional film.
Hustlers was one of the most enjoyable films of the year for me. It had a wonderful balance of visceral emotion backed with humorous satire. It is everything The Big Short and Vice attempted to say about a similar time period, yet failed. I hope it is a film that is seriously considered by Oscar pundits in every category, as I truly believe this is one of the best movies of the year.
Grade: (9/10)
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