Hustle & Flow

This story of a black marijuana dealer and pimp named DJay (Terence Howard) who aspires to be a rap musician has been receiving awards all over the place. It's not a bad movie. In fact, it's a good one. However, I'd never nominate it for an Oscar. It's simply not that good!

Howard, straight off a great performance in Crash is convincing as the Memphis hustler whose life is in a rut as he sells the occasional dime bag, shakes down nudie bar dancers, and pimps out a trashy little white girl hooker named Nola (Taryn Manning).

I guess what we're supposed to get from this movie is that even the lowest of low-lifes have aspirations. The pimp wants to be a musician, the little hooker wants to have something real to do other than blowing strangers (though she can't say exactly what), and his churchgoing seemingly-straight childhood friend named Key (Anthony Anderson) would like to be a big-time producer.

An opportunity arises when Skinny Black (Ludakris), a guy from the hood who's made good as a rap singer, is coming back and will be holding sway in a bar owned by DJay's good friend (Isaac Hayes, in a nameless role). DJay's plan is to slip him a demo tape.

Well, that's the setup. The supporting performances I haven't mentioned yet are all quite good. Special mention should go to the almost indescribably ungainly D.J. Qualls as Shelby, the white musician who knows how to run all the electronic instruments (drum machines, etc.). Another outstanding performance is turned in by Taraji P. Henson playing a pregnant hooker living in DJay's home who is given hope and a modicum of self-esteem by singing a hook on one of his first songs.

However, I think that after Howard's performance as DJay, it is Ms. Manning's performance as the little prostitute Nola which is most affecting and memorable.