'Hustlers' Proves Itself To Be Far More Than You Ever Expected
Starring Constance Wu, Jennifer Lopez, Julia Styles, Keke Palmer, Lili Reinhart, Cardi B, Lizzo
Rated R
Comedy, Drama
Run time: 1 hr, 49 min
Directed by Lorene Scafaria
In theaters September 13, 2019
So I’ll admit it. I went into this movie going, “Eh, even if it’s terrible, who cares? This is why I have Regal Unlimited.” I figured with it going up against The Goldfinch, this would fall far short. Well, I’m more than happy to say I was wrong on this one. It turned out to be the best surprise of a good movie that I’ve seen all year. I was worried it would be a ‘female Magic Mike,’ so I just didn’t even watch the trailers and went in all but completely blind on the plot.
Not only is the story fascinating, about a group of strippers who are determined to never rely on anyone for the lives they wish to have and come up with the idea to do a semi-self-serving Robin Hood plot: steal from the rich to give to themselves. The merry band of women are led by Ramona (Jennifer Lopez legitimately at her finest - in both talent and looks), one of the older staffers at a strip club. She takes a few younger women under her wing and helps them utilize their wiles in a way that could be both dangerous and lucrative. What starts out as just a few lessons on teaching a new girl (Constance Wu) some moves turns into a bigger plot than some of them could have ever imagined.
Lopez is truly masterful as the ringleader behind the entire organization, balancing the commanding presence she has among her girls and the wheedling attitude she has to have while trying to get money out of men. Her presence in the movie is magnetic, and despite the other actors and actresses doing extremely well throughout the film, you can’t help but stare in every scene that features Ramona. The time jumps help illustrate just how quickly things can change, how a little bit of luck - or a loss of it - can alter someone’s path without warning.
I half expected this movie to be a female version of Magic Mike, which wouldn’t have been a bad thing, but it’s so much more than that. This is all but a heist film, one that keeps you on your toes the entire time and wondering just what will happen when the house of cards inevitably tumbles down. There’s humor and heart to it as well, helping to round out a group of characters in order to sell this story even more. I’d heard many a person say this should be at least an Oscar nod to Lopez, but after sitting through the almost two-hour run time, I’d say she should go home with the trophy.