Redwarmin This movie is the proof that the world is becoming a sick and dumb place

Dirtylogy It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

Tayloriona Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

Frances Chung Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

Filmbufftwerp This is simply one of the best movies about living the dream and the struggle to be somebody and self-actualize that I've seen. But first, i digress. As a guy in his late 30s i take issue with the IMDB logline implying that a guy who's 40 (As Terrence Howard is in H&F) is mid-life. I'm not saying it's wrong. I just take issue with it.Terrence Howard is great as DJay, a pimp with a few other side hustle (Taraji Henson, Paula Jai Parker, and Taryn Manning, are all terrific in their roles).They're all living with him, and one is his baby's mama, and exerts a lot of pressure in trying to get him to be the man that she wants him to be (a recurring theme in the movie, and with that I'll mention that Anthony Anderson was also great in his supporting turn). This all changes when a chance encounter from a most unexpected source brings music back into his life and rekindles an old dream, setting him off on a journey to reach success by both moral and immoral means. From then on, the movie is very well written and acted, and features good acting from all the aforementioned and more. I'm not in the music biz, so I'll avoid commenting on the music business stuff, but it felt very genuine to me, especially in terms of the artistic process.But Hustle and Flow is really a movie about what it really means to be successful, especially as an artist, and to really live the dream. And I think the message of the movie is that it isn't about money and glitz, but about self fulfillment and a sense of accomplishment, even in the absence of the material gain. And that too, was very well executed in the film, written and directed by Craig Brewer. Great film.

juneebuggy Terrence Howard turns in a perfect performance as a pimp, pusher and aspiring rapper, working all the angles to get his first record made and leave the mean Memphis streets behind.This is a gritty and moving story. Its raw (in places), dark and believable, and of course the music is great, I've had that Oscar winning song stuck in my head for days now. Some excellent sections of dialogue too..."I'm here trying to squeeze a dollar out of a dime, and I ain't even got a cent man." Howard is fantastic but I also reallyfell for the sub cast of extended family and friends; Taryn Manning,Anthony Anderson, DJ Qualls, Taraji P. Henson, all these charactersshow varying degrees of desperation.

Lee Eisenberg Memphis is best known as the domain of Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison, etc. Jim Jarmusch's "Mystery Train" showed a decrepit Sun Studios in a dismal neighborhood, while the main part of the city appeared in the background. Craig Brewer's "Hustle & Flow" features a new kind of look at the city. The focus is DJay, a pimp who aspires to become a rapper.Nothing about the story is cute or glamorized. The movie shows how most of the characters live a grim existence. It's well known that rap originated as the voice of the ghetto, and DJay's songs make no secret of his disillusionment with his life. Just like in "8 Mile", the no-punches-pulled songs are the only chance of a new beginning.Terrence Howard had appeared in some movies before "Hustle & Flow", but this was truly his breakthrough performance. The rest of the cast also turn in fine performances - Taraji P. Henson's character is an intense one - but without a doubt, the theme song sums up the plot. After "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp" won Best Original Song at the Academy Awards, host Jon Stewart proclaimed "I think it just got a lot easier for a pimp." All in all, the movie is exactly what a movie should be. I can't believe that it took me until now to finally see it (I've recently been making an effort to watch a number of 2000s movies that I hadn't gotten a chance to see). Definitely see it.

namashi_1 Craig Brewer's 'Hustle & Flow' is one of the finest independent films to come out in Hollywood. A films that shows reality in its truest form. A story about a pimp aspiring to become a rapper. The idea is fantastic if first of all, and the execution is just a cherry on the cake. Agreed the film ends up sad, but it leaves you satisfied and energetic. 'Hustle & Flow' rocks.Performances: Terrence Howard is fantastic, the soul of the film. He's astonishing in every frame he appears in, and is easily one of the best performances of this decade. Anthony Anderson is as usual, excellent. Taraji P.Henson delivers an earnest performance. Taryn Manning is a revelation. She's superb. Others are decent.on the whole 'Hustle & Flow' is a brave and reverting film. I love this film, and I recommend each and every cinema this film. Two Thumbs Up!