Movie #1751 ........................."Hustlers"

Movie #1751  "Hustlers" ---If you read the little blurb below on what the film is about, it almost seems to give a good reason to see this film --- seems topical, about hardworking women, etc.  But the film is a very uneven story about the lives of some women who feel they have to break the law and endanger people's lives (granted they are sexist CEO males, for the most part) to enable them to succeed monetarily in the world.  It is different if they weren't giving drugs to these guys they were fleecing --- it would also be different if they were making ends meet, but there's a 15 minute party scene where they lavish gifts upon each other , including a chinchilla coat that just seems way too extravagant for these working girls.  I know these trinkets  serve as symbols of success and their dream lives, but it just served to me another scene that didn't ring true.  Here's another one --- Jennifer Lopez (whom I respect as a singer and esp. as an actress) took 6 months to learn how to pole dance correctly and she does about a 5 minute scene where she is teaching Constance Wu how to do it --- nice idea and very well done, I thought at first --- the scene  shows us the ropes, gives us background info so we can better understand that business,  but more importantly, reveals the artistry of the whole thing.  Yet, when Jaylo is performing, it turns into a demeaning display of sexual manipulation as she gyrates on the ground scooping up the money she has just collected.  The Art went out the window --- are we supposed to lament that fact?  But we weren't fully invested in the "art" idea of it, yet, so how could we feel bad that these women can't show the artistry?  Confusing...And  it  really is difficult to like these women --- there are some scenes in there to get us on their side, and yes, probably the major focus of the film is the building friendship of Wu and Lopez, which is desperately needed for both women, but by the time we hit those moments in that scenario, it is long past caring about these women, who are constantly drinking and fleecing these men in the bars.  So overall,  the film is a disappointment --- the opening sets up quite nicely what Wu does for money in one night --- and lets us know just how little she takes home, which she ultimately gives mostly to her grandmother.  It looked to be about how much working women have to work to get the little amount they take home --- but then it weakly went through the rest of the plot --- maybe in the hands of a better director?  I don't know --- the actors are competent, but it misses saying what it should have been saying about working women in our society.  One point I did get from the film is the difference in relationship these two women have in comparison to two con men working together.  If they are men, I would  have no doubt that one would give up the other to the police and not be full of anguish for doing such a thing --- maybe that's stereotyping on my part, but it's what we see in films over and over again --- here, it is different --- you are dealing with two working mothers, and when their kids are on the line, the consequences change for them.  And they anguish emotionally over their decisions.  More of that, might have helped the film ---  I give this a weak 3 and I don't recommend it --- the other two women I went with I think felt the same way.  We didn't like this film, but wanted to.

"HUSTLERS"    2019    R  1 hour and 47 minutes      

Angry about being taken advantage of by their employer and their customers, a group of former strip-club employees turns the tables on their wealthy Wall Street clients in this true-life tale.

Cast 

Constance Wu, Jennifer Lopez, Julia Stiles, Keke Palmer, Lili Reinhart, Lizzo, Cardi B, Madeline Brewer, Mercedes Ruehl, Frank Whaley, Jon Glaser, Vanessa Aspillaga, Brandon Keener, Big Jay Oakerson, Devin Ratray, Mette Towley, Wai Ching Ho, G-Eazy, Usher, Rhys Coiro, Steven Boyer

Director 

Lorene Scafaria

Genres 

Drama, Crime Dramas, Dramas Based on Real Life, Indie Dramas

Moods 

Quirky