Hustlers

photo courtesy of nytimes.com

SPOILER-FREE REVIEW

     Hustlers follows the story of a stripper-turned-scammer in New York City following the 2008 financial crisis. Constance Wu plays Dorothy, a stripper struggling to scrape together a living night-to-night. Her fortunes turn around when she meets Ramona (Jennifer Lopez), who shows her how to play the system and maximize her profits. Things get dicey when Ramona introduces a risky, illegal scheme for fleecing their Wall Street clients.

     Hustlers tells a heist-type story not totally unlike last year’s critically-acclaimed Widows. You could also compare it to Ocean’s 11 or 8, but whereas those films are generally feel-good flicks, Hustlers’ story nuances its fun and humor with a bit of darkness. There’s trouble lying in wait around the corner.

photo courtesy of variety.com

     The headline here is Jennifer Lopez, who gives a committed and perceptive performance as Ramona. She strengthens the movie, anchoring just about every scene she’s in. Her presence lends Hustlers some all-time memorable moments (one of which occurs only ten minutes in) that will might just transcend the film and find their way into popular consciousness. Constance Wu, whose plays the protagonist, also impresses.

     The screenplay is sharp but not a masterwork. At its worst, it states the obvious, telling, not showing, the audience what the characters feel, and relying on narration to connect events and emotions. At its best, however, it creates an immersive picture of a world that doesn’t get much attention—and certainly not much sympathy—in mainstream media. Hustlers presents everything with excruciating clarity. It’s not just the strip club, it’s the conditions in and around the strip club that dictate the characters’ lives, pushing them back into the club to make ends meet.

photo courtesy of hollywoodreporter.com

     And the script crafts well-rounded, realistic characters. It creates empathy for their plight and even for their crimes—crimes committed against Wall Street types who have broken the law themselves and gotten off the hook. It doesn’t altogether condone their behavior, but it demonstrates their humanity in the midst of it. In so doing, Hustlers builds their storylines into emotional crescendos with meaningful consequences.

     Writer-director Lorene Scafaria makes Hustlers visually immersive, too. The world of Hustlers can be uncomfortable and seedy (in the upper, secret rooms of the club), but in Ramona’s fabulous apartment it’s often sleek, stylish, and gorgeous. Subliminally, the juxtaposition of those two makes for a powerful contrast that gets at the heart of what Hustlers conveys.

Oh, and don't bring the kids. Hustlers is rated R for pervasive sexual material, drug content, language and nudity.

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