Hustlers
Starring: Constance Wu, Jennifer Lopez, Julia Stiles, Keke Palmer, Lili Reinhart
Directed by: Lorene Scafaria
Rated: R
“This is a story about control
My control
Control of what I say
Control of what I do
And this time, I’m gonna do it my way.”
The opening lines of Janet Jackson’s Control narrate the first shots of Hustlers as Constance Wu’s character, Destiny, gets ready for a night of work at the strip club. The words ring true to her experience as the whole film centers around the theme of control. They are attempting to gain control of their life, finances, and social status. Control is not a want, but an absolute need for Destiny. It’s a matter of gaining it that’s the issue.
Hustlers is based on a New York Magazine article that gained popularity about a group of strippers that began hustling their Wall Street clients out of money after the 2008 financial crisis. At the beginning of Hustlers, I wasn’t sure if I’d get invested. It seemed a bit too raunchy and over the top in the opening scenes. (It’s worth noting that this has several racy moments. Obviously, it’s a film about strippers working in the club. The strip club is depicted, but it has to be to remain true to the story.) Then the story started to progress and showed itself as a layered character-driven crime thriller. Hustlers is a rollercoaster ride that keeps you guessing.
The film is directed brilliantly by Lorene Scafaria. Her style is very reminiscent of Martin Scorsese from its fast-paced storytelling, slick editing, and perfectly placed musical cues. This movie is similar to the Wolf of Wall Street with a female-led cast. The women lie, steal, and break the law by drugging their clients to get them to spend money at the strip club. They’re clearly not admirable characters by any stretch of the imagination. Scafaria condemns the women’s illegal activity but keeps the audience invested in the storyline by humanizing them as people. Each woman has a story, and you want to know what brought them to this point. Scafaria makes sure the film has just the right balance of drama and comedy. From a technical standpoint, this is excellent filmmaking — the music kicks in at the perfect moments. (The Love in this Club and Royals sequences are two of the most memorable scenes of 2019. You’ll know when you see them!) Slow-motion is utilized exactly when needed stylistically, and the sound design is uniquely edited to fit the investigation storyline. All of these elements make the film noticeably impressive on a technical level.
The screenplay (also written by Scafaria) is very intriguing. It deals with themes of crime, motherhood, female relationships, and class differences. Part of what works so well about this screenplay is the character relationships. Each woman develops close friendships with each other to become a tight-knit family. They depend on each other when there’s no one else to depend on. Men see them as objects, and the world sees them as low class, but they see each other as family. The central relationship of the film is Ramona and Destiny. Romana takes Destiny under her wing when she’s new to the club and shows her how to really make money. The two instantly bond and become friends. Destiny is swept up by Romona’s charisma and confidence. She sees how she gets what she wants. She also sees her as the mother figure that she’s lacking. However, there’s a chaos to their relationship that brews under the surface that could reach a boiling point at any second.
Much has been written about Jennifer Lopez’s performance as Romana, the leader of the hustling ring. And much should be written about it. She is phenomenal in this role, completely in charge of all that happens around her. Like the Janet Jackson song that starts the film, she will have control, her way. She sees the strip club as a place of business to take back control from the men who throw their money around with scant regard for her humanity. Ramona is the mother figure of the club, looking out for the girls. However, at the core, money is her end goal. She will stop at nothing to get it, and that is her downfall. She is fittingly introduced on screen by Fiona Apple’s Criminal. Lopez commands every single second she is on the screen with star power and confidence. You can bet she will be nominated for Best Supporting Actress when the Oscars roll around.
While Jennifer Lopez steals the show, Constance Wu is Destiny, the lead character anchoring the film. She’s trying her best to support her grandmother and work at the club. She is a bit shy at first, but her friendship with Ramona brings her out of her shell. A series of events lead her to join Ramona in the hustling, a decision that will alter her life. She struggles to find a sense of control as she’s swept away into the world of lies and swindling, but she attempts to keep her head above water. Constance Wu does an excellent job of showcasing a wide array of emotions through Destiny. There are layers to this performance. Coming off roles from Fresh Off the Boat and Crazy Rich Asians, this proves how versatile Wu is as a performer.
Keke Palmer and Lili Reinhart are two major standouts in the film. Palmer is the witty Mercedes and Reinhart, the nervous Annabelle. Their characters provide several hilarious moments when the hustling begins. It’s difficult to share the screen with Jennifer Lopez and Constance Wu and steal scenes, but these two manage to do it several times.
Julia Stiles has a role in the film as a reporter interviewing Destiny looking back at all of the events that have transpired. She is the audience’s guide to the film, asking the questions we need to know about Destiny and Ramona’s past. My biggest complaint with the film is that her character feels like a plot device that is only there to ask about significant character situations when the film demands it. We don’t know anything about her at all. Julia Stiles is a very talented actress, and it would’ve been an excellent opportunity to give her a little more to do here.
The music in this movie is on another level. I’m not exaggerating. Half of what makes this movie so entertaining is the timing and placement of the music. It instantly takes you back to the time in your life when you first heard these pop hits. The film timeline spans from 2007-2015 and music from each year plays, so we know the exact timeline the characters are in at that moment. The lyrics of each song also fits the situation of the characters. Using music to help further the story is a wonderful technique, especially for a film dealing with clubs. I cannot praise this soundtrack enough because it is perfectly curated to the film.
Hustlers is everything that The Kitchen tried to be and ultimately failed. This is a riveting story about crime, control, and camaraderie. It’s a bold and electric crime thriller that flips the script on the genre.
My Rating: 8/10