When you're watching a movie about bad people doing bad things (gangster movies, financial crime pictures etc.) its naturally hard to sympathize with the characters. The movie has to do the extra work so you can picture walking in their shoes so you can see why the characters are doing what they're doing. My blueprint for accomplishing this (or the best template to follow) is the Martin Scorsese comedy The Wolf of Wall Street. Jordan Belfort (the protagonist played by Leonardo DiCaprio) and his buddy are TERRIBLE human beings, they're criminals, they're bigots and sexists and they don't care whose lives their ruining to get what they want (bigger parties, more women and most of all more money). But the ride is so crazy and watching them just splurge on anything and everything, its so fun that you let go of your morality just to join them on this journey. This is something that Hustlers manages to do and if this hadn't been accomplished, the movie would have dropped like a stone. The actions of Ramona (Jennifer Lopez), Destiny (Constance Wu) and their partners in crime are awful, sure their victims are @$$holes, but they're still drugging them, stealing all of their money then using their positions as strippers to shame them into not reporting them. If the genders were switched, this would be a horror movie. Luckily, the camaraderie between the girls is so strong and its so fun to watch them enjoy the fruits of their labours, you can put the morality of their actions aside and just follow them. I enjoyed watching this movie just for the performances and the vibe it exudes with these women pulling one over on "The Man."
I try to never count actors or actresses out, you never know if they're going to get that rebound role that suits their talents or if they just haven't been pitched on that movie that will make their career. Maybe they're taking gigs just for the paycheque? For example, I really disliked Robert Pattison and then I saw him in Water for Elephants and The Lost City of Z and I realized that maybe he wasn't a hack after all. Jennifer Lopez is another performer who falls in this category for me. She's always been beautiful but I've never liked her work as an actress or as a singer. Hustlers was that movie that changed my mind about her. The movie highlights how stunning she is but I thought her performance in this was excellent. She commanded the screen, she exuded power and confidence whenever the camera was on her and she made you want to believe in Ramona even after she turned the corner. She also had really good chemistry with Wu and the rest of the cast. I applaud her for her work here, I don't know if she'll win an Oscar but this is the best work I've seen from her and I wouldn't be surprised if there's some award recognition her future.
This is not to sell Wu short either, this is a big departure from Crazy Rich Asians and Hustlers shows she has a lot of range. I already mentioned that Lopez and her work well together butWu helps carry the viewer through this wild ride. She manages to be funny but she also digs deep in the more serious moments. This is solid work for sure. The supporting cast was really good across the board. I want to credit Keke Palmer, Lili Reinhart, Julia Stiles (who is good but very low key) and Mercedes Ruehl for performing capably and they all had their moments. The only one I'll single out is Cardi B, she isn't bad but she's playing it up really hard and she could have toned it down just a little.
This movie does have some minor hurdles to get over. The first is the aforementioned morality problem which the movie both addresses but also sweeps under the rug. I didn't have a problem with it but it is a present issue. The next is that if you take a step back and look at the arc of the plot, this is also the generic rise and fall gangster story. Its filmed beautifully and its a lot of fun, but if you need something wholly original, this movie doesn't cut it. My final point is that they really rush the segment where the girls get their comeuppance. The movie ends like someone skimming the last few pages and then slams the book shut. I don't know if they thought it was running long and they needed to wrap it up or if that just wasn't the focus but it ends pretty abruptly.
I enjoyed this more than I expected to. I did get to the movie 5-10 minutes late, I saw this with a friend and we entered right when JLO was doing her first dance (it was an awkward moment to enter when you're seeing this with a female friend). It does follow the same beats as a lot of other stories but I credit director Lorene Scafaria and her creative team for finding a new angle on this type of story and the cinematography is noteworthy for a movie that just takes place in the city. Hustlers isn't flawless but it more than does enough to get the job done. If the subject matter doesn't make you squeamish (which it shouldn't... maybe don't watch this with the kids though) check it out on your preferred streaming service. I would tell you to see it in the theatre but I'm late getting this review up and its probably gone by now.
