Hustlers
Inspired by the viral New York Magazine article, Hustlers follows a crew of savvy former strip club employees who band together to turn the tables on their Wall Street clients.
Cast
Constance Wu – Destiny
Jennifer Lopez – Ramona
Julia Stiles – Elizabeth
Keke Palmer – Mercedes
Mercedes Ruehl – Mama
Lili Reinhart – Annabelle
Mette Towley – Justice
Trace Lysette – Tracey
Lizzo – Liz
Cardi B – Diamond
Frank Whaley – Reese
Strip Superb
I really wasn’t sure what to expect with Hustlers. After seeing it advertised on the side of a London bus – and again on the Underground – I got an instant impression of pure smut. Constance Wu, Jennifer Lopez, Cardi B, and someone who looked very much like Brittany Murphy (but obviously wasn’t) all poised with sexual flair. God it looked dark, dripping with attitude. Not really my sort of thing..
..this movie was so my thing.
Book – cover – judge – don’t. Hustlers was an absolute riot from start to finish, mainly due to its effervescent soundtrack beating out one mid-noughties track after another whilst J-Lo et al gyrated their way to glory. I say gyrate.. some of the moves displayed by these girls are incredible. I genuinely gasped out loud when Lopez did upside-down splits, and managed to tap both ankles on the floor in an olympic-style move. Just fantastic. And dance wise, the entertainment continued with other stripper characters being introduced and even more flesh being displayed. Being a sweet-smelling homosexual I may have been as dry as a rock, but fuck me was my adrenaline pumping from all the raucous ‘live’ action, music and added comedy. This was like a night out – in the cinema.
Hustlers uses the story of a woman who is sat down having an intense conversation with a journalist to thread it all together. And in classic flashback mode it pulls out certain bits of the woman’s history as a stripper to deliver a movie that is both entertaining and engaging. This isn’t just sultry women having dollars shoved in their thongs, it actually touches on family, financial and relationship issues too. But although emotionally engaging, these aren’t dwelled on for too long – soon it’s back to dark rooms pulsating with strobe light and glittering bras. And as for the music – top notch. If you have any recollection of 2007 – 2008 chart hits you will no doubt be foot tapping to the likes of Britney Spears and Lorde.
At one point the strip club action slows slightly to the smooth sound of Usher’s Love in This Club, and the atmosphere turns electric with the ladies giving it their best. Trust me, if you ever wanted to be a pole dancer you need to see this movie.
The scene which takes place mostly in slow motion showing the result of rich men being drugged plays out to the beat of some decent tunes too. It feels slightly contradicting, but is made to feel even more crazy with the ladies bringing laughs (how they respond to the men falling unconscious is hilarious). And of course Stiles, who plays the journalist. Even a few of her lines and wide-eyed expressions add to the comedy aspect of the movie. Quite literally, no-one can do any wrong in Hustlers. I was totally surprised and won over by the entire thing.
Are you having a girls’ night in? A gays’ night in? Or even better – a hen party? Then I highly reccommend you stick Hustlers on. It won’t just get you in the mood – it will be your mood. From surprisingly talented pole dancing and rowdy backstage banter to police raids, drugging and ingenious plots unfolding, Hustlers is a firey cocktail that will have you either rooting for the lead characters or singing along throughout.
Don’t miss out on this one.
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