Hustlers

Starring: Constance Wu, Jennifer Lopez, Julia Stiles, Mette Towley, Wai Ching Ho, Emma Batie, Vanessa Aspillaga, Jay Oakerson, Cardi B, Keke Palmer, Frank Whaley, Lizzo
Directed by: Lorene Scafaria
Rating: R
Genre: Comedy, Drama
2019

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A team of former strippers begin drugging rich clients and stealing money from them.

Review:

Tim: Fans of Hustlers were up in arms that the movie was passed over for Academy Awards, most especially for Jennifer Lopez not being nominated. There were lots of reasons offered as to why, many of them not especially fair. I know this is just my perspective, but the film missed out on Oscars because it was good, but not especially incredible. I enjoyed this movie and it's one we should celebrate, but there's a big difference between a solid film like this and the best movies of the year. A huge difference, in fact.

The movie is worthwhile because it explores a based-on-a-true-story that is quite surprising, as it feels like a fictional Hollywood tale. A cabal of strippers team up to systematically drug and steal from extremely rich clients. This ploy works because the men involved were literally doing something they wouldn't want anyone to know about, so they keep their mouths shut, even as tens of thousands of dollars disappeared from their bank accounts. They found ways to rationalize it or explain it away. That allowed the women to continue for a surprisingly long time. That story is a unique spin on movies like it. As an added benefit, it highlights a group of female thieves. We need representation and this offers a great opportunity. The whole thing feels like a fairly unique spin on the typical crime stories we see.

Now, the unique feel definitely helps to elevate this movie and it's a reason why I enjoyed the film. Lorene Scafaria does a good job with this film, but she does feel like an early-career director (I believe this is her third feature film). I suspect (based on the evidence here) that she could have a long career. Future films will likely be better as she gains more experience. Outside of the stylish trappings that make this film feel different, it follows a typical path for movies like this. The thieves start small, but as they enjoy success, they push the envelope, enjoying more wealth. It continues to build as they take increasingly large risks, run into personal trouble within their group that threatens their plans, and of course, law enforcement eventually gets wind of their shenanigans and they land on their radar. The skeleton of the movie is one that we've seen time and time again. Thankfully, the movie doesn't feel stale.

Jennifer Lopez gives a strong performance. After her initial startling strip scene, she settles into the role, giving what may be the best performance of her career (keep in mind that this is relative). Watching her, she felt like a "real" actress, the kind of person who shows up and is so incredibly effective, you just believe her in the role. The truth is that was surprising to people because usually Lopez isn't that good of an actress. This film made me feel similar to her performance in Selena. So, Lopez deserves a lot of credit for a really strong performance. She was memorable in this role, she draws the audience in. And yet, it's not surprising to me that she didn't get nominated for an Academy Award. She's good, but I'm not sure I would say this was one of the best performances of the year. It's possible for an actress to give a career-best performance and still not be one of the best of the year. I wouldn't have faulted the Academy if they nominated her, but I don't think it was an egregious oversight.

Constance Wu is really the lead here and she deserves a ton of credit, too. Her performance required far more range than Lopez's, and Wu hits all the right notes throughout the film. She's naive and impressionable, she's tough and battle-hardened. She's kind, motherly, judgmental- it's impressive how much she has to pull off in this role. I left the movie feeling so impressed with Wu as an actress. She and Lopez made a great team, too.

The supporting cast is good. Julia Stiles was great to see in a bit of a thankless role that she manages to squeeze a lot out of. She was quite good. Wai Ching Ho is always fun to see and she adds a lot. I'm a fan of Frank Whaley, so his small role was enjoyable, too. The women who played the other strippers were a bit too forgettable. Still, solid cast as a whole.

Hustlers is a good movie and it should be applauded for what it manages to do. The film felt just a tad too long at 1 hour, 50 minutes. I feel bad because people overrated this movie and got an inflated sense of how good it was. It's no where near the best made movies of 2019, and it's not surprising that it received zero Academy Award nominations. Lopez was probably close, but it's not a travesty that she got passed by. That doesn't mean this is a movie you should miss.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating- 7



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Crazy Rich Asians, Ocean's Eight