SpuffyWeb Sadly Over-hyped

Exoticalot People are voting emotionally.

SeeQuant Blending excellent reporting and strong storytelling, this is a disturbing film truly stranger than fiction

Kamila Bell This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

Lee Eisenberg Memphis is best known as the domain of Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison, etc. Jim Jarmusch's "Mystery Train" showed a decrepit Sun Studios in a dismal neighborhood, while the main part of the city appeared in the background. Craig Brewer's "Hustle & Flow" features a new kind of look at the city. The focus is DJay, a pimp who aspires to become a rapper.Nothing about the story is cute or glamorized. The movie shows how most of the characters live a grim existence. It's well known that rap originated as the voice of the ghetto, and DJay's songs make no secret of his disillusionment with his life. Just like in "8 Mile", the no-punches-pulled songs are the only chance of a new beginning.Terrence Howard had appeared in some movies before "Hustle & Flow", but this was truly his breakthrough performance. The rest of the cast also turn in fine performances - Taraji P. Henson's character is an intense one - but without a doubt, the theme song sums up the plot. After "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp" won Best Original Song at the Academy Awards, host Jon Stewart proclaimed "I think it just got a lot easier for a pimp." All in all, the movie is exactly what a movie should be. I can't believe that it took me until now to finally see it (I've recently been making an effort to watch a number of 2000s movies that I hadn't gotten a chance to see). Definitely see it.

Bob-45 My wife and I are HUGE of "Empire". So, imagine when I discovered two of my favorite actors, Terrence Howard ("Lucius") and Taraji P. Henson ("Cookie") had appeared together 10 years earlier in a similarly-themed movie about hip-hop. Unfortunately, while "Empire" is consistently entertaining, "Hustle & Flow" builds slowly and unpleasantly. While Terrence Howard's "Djay" is an earlier incarnation of "Lucius," Taraji P. Henson's "Shug" appears mentally-challenged. Worse, the two characters responsible most for the outcome are white. Also, the scene where "Shug" gives "Djay" comes out of nowhere. Just WHERE did the very-pregnant "Shug" get the money to give "Djay" this VERY expensive gift? Not to mention, the Oscar-winning song, "Its hard out there for a pimp" is not as good as the original song created for "Empire"; and it pretty much the only song in the movie.I fear many of those who see the reviews and awards for "Hustle & Flow" are going to be as disappointed as my wife. I liked "Hustle & Flow" for its raw honesty. However I resent the "tools" given to white racists who will watch "Hustle & Flow" and say, "See?" I give "Hustle & Flow" a "6".

SnoopyStyle DJay (Terrence Howard) is a Memphis pimp and a drug dealer with a dream. His hoe Nola (Taryn Manning) is actually more of a friendly co-worker. Shug (Taraji P. Henson) is a pregnant mess. When he buys a kid's keyboard from a street drunk, he renews his music dreams. He bumps into his old schoolmate Key (Anthony Anderson) who with Shelby (DJ Qualls) helps him record his songs. It's a struggle as he hustles for the recordings and the chance to get his music played. He aims to bring his music to successful rapper Skinny Black (Ludacris), but it's a long winding road.This movie has loads of atmosphere due to the gritty Memphis locations. On the surface, it's another blaxsploitation movie about the hustle, rappers, drug deals, pimps and hoes. But it's much more about the downtrodden who still have their own dreams. It takes the stereotypical characters and give them life. Also there's a scattering of white characters here. So it's not a simple movie about pimps and hoes. Then there is also the great music. There is still no other Oscar winning song quite like "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp". The performances are superb especially Terence Howard. Even Anthony Anderson puts in a solid dramatic performance.

Prismark10 Hustle & Flow is a strange hybrid. Part rap, part urban drama and set in the south. Terrence Howard is a Memphis pimp, Djay who runs a stable of prostitutes and still has trouble making ends meet. No wonder life is hard for a pimp.After an encounter with an old school friend who also works as a music mixer he decides to write and rap about his life experiences, record music and hoping to have a shot at the big time. He hopes to this by persuading a big music star played by Ludicrous to listen to his tape on his return to town for a July the fourth party.Terrence Howard would not be seen as your first choice to play a rapping street hustler as he tends to be known for more urbane characters in films such as Crash but holds attention as the hustler and rapper who lives for today and then struggles to do that. He is no hero or even that sympathetic, he just wants to survive but at least he does have dreams and talent as the words seem to flow out of him.I guess the films might be problematic if you do not like rap and the subject matters of the rap songs with its swearing might be off putting for some.There is tenderness, when Djay, Shelby and Key get together to make music and its at this point the film displays its heart when before that, its Djay pimping out his women.