Movie Review: Hustle & Flow

Hustle & Flow: Torgo approves

This movie wasn't what I expected it to be. It was much more of a feel-good story that I thought.

That's not to say it's bad. First of all, Terrence Howard is terrific. He has a great actor's role and he does great things with it. I'm not his biggest fan in our household, but I'm definitely one of them. When you compare this role with his role in "Crash," his depth is clear. He has intensity but, more important, warmth and vulnerability.

Thinking more about this film vs. "Crash," I was impressed with how a white writer was able to write a story largely about black characters without seeming false or wrong. "Crash" preached far too much, whereas "H&F" isn't about race at all, and that may help. But I was reminded of many discussions in English and writing classes in college where this topic came up: can/should a writer from the majority write from the voice of the minority? A writer from a minority can write with the voice of the majority convincingly and without reservation, but is the opposite possible? Or a good idea?

It doesn't seem to be an issue in "Hustle & Flow." John Singleton produced the movie, and I'm fairly certain that if he'd written and directed it, the story wouldn't be quite as warm and fuzzy. But as it is, it's a worthwhile movie. It's funny, which was also surprising. The ending is weak but satisfying (though, admittedly, misogynist).

The song ("It's hard out here for a pimp") is irritating, but in the context of the movie (which I doubt was seen by most of the people making fun of the song's title back when it got the Oscar nomination), it at least feels justified.