Drinks all around, strippers, dollar bills flying, and strobe lights: some may call this a “Thirsty Thursday,” but to Destiny, played by Constance Wu, this is her six days a week workplace.
Destiny is new to the club and is trying to step up her game. To catch some more dollar bills, she befriends Ramona, played by Jennifer Lopez, who is the top earner at the club.
The two form a bond over their success, but it’s broken apart once the 2008 financial crisis hits. After time goes by, the pair reconnects for a scheme where they drug wealthy men into the club and run up their credit cards.
While the film has an interesting story, its overwhelming amount of slow-mo montages and overhype for JLo’s performance doesn’t make it feel like the VIP experience.
In a way, Hustlers has the elements of a Martin Scorcese film: there’s crime, money, recklessness, language, and a musty New York backdrop.
But it doesn’t quite go there because the movie isn’t that dark and there’s more humor than expected.
What really works the pole is their reason for drugging the guys.
Most of the club’s clientele was Wall Street bankers and when the market crashed, their business was slow dancing.
Romana starts this scheme because Wall Street screwed the country and not a single person went to jail; now it’s their turn.
It’s been about 11 years and we’ve had remarkable success in this long recovery, but to put yourself in the heels of Romana from back then you get where she’s coming from.
Lopez’s performance is well done, yet I’m not sure why all the critics are ordering the JLo kool aid from the bar.
She carries herself strongly and is perfect as the head of the crew.
This is also the first decent JLo flick in quite some time. The other week I watched her most recent film Second Act and I pray that there isn’t a third.
I’ve said before that this year is the worst for film, so maybe with little competition JLo makes a stronger case.
Just like those strong drinks the bankers guzzle, the amount of slow-mo montages is too. In every other scene there’s a two-minute compilation of the ladies dancing, swiping credit cards, shopping, or flexing Gucci accessories. The Hustlers run up the bankers’ cards and the runtime with the montages.
Other than these flaws, it’s one of the better G.N.O. movies to have come out in recent memory.
People are definitely hitting up the club because when I went to see this, the theater was practically sold out. While I may not think it’s worth throwing 13 dollar bills at for primetime, others certainly do.
IMAGES TAKEN from Us Weekly
