Hustlers (15.)
Directed by Lorene Scafaria.
Starring Constance Wu, Jennifer Lopez, Julia Stiles, Keke Palmer, Lili Reinhart, Mercedes Ruehl and Cardi B. 110 mins
Carefully timed to cash in on Jennifer Lopez getting snubbed for an Oscar nom, the home release of this drama in which various toned ladies inform us of the ugly truths of late-era capitalism by writhing around over objectionable Wall Street bankers.
In 2007 the ladies at New York strip clubs are raking it in as the lads are literally throwing money at them. Destiny (Wu) is something of a child until Ramona (Lopez) takes her under the flaps of her fur-coat and shows her the poles. Then, of course, everything goes subprime and the easy money dries up. After a few years apart the pair bump into each other at the start of the next decade and decide that their style of trickle-down economics needs a more forceful and underhand push.
These characters would have been window dressing in one of the orgies in The Wolf Of Wall Street. Putting them front and centre writer/ director Scafaria has approached the material with a restrained take on the Scorsese style. She opens up with a version of his tracking shot through the kitchen in Goodfellas and the film has plenty of the black comedy energy his films use to present based on true stories.
Those expecting some kind of elaborate scam will be disappointed; the ladies big hustle is just a crass, ugly cash grab but that's the point: there is no dignity here, it's just one group of ruthless materialists preying on a more entitled group of ruthless materialists. The most horrifying thing in is the horrendous, overpriced tat – shoes, bags, furs - the ladies fritter their hard-grifted money away on.
The film offers a stark illustration of how money and power stratify us. There is plenty of nudity but not involving any above-the-titles talent; only supporting players and extras have to go the Fully Mindy. Jennifer Lopez though throws herself into the gymnastics with almost chilling assurance. She's isn't just here to demonstrate that she is still hot stuff at 50, but reawaken distant memories of her being a credible actor. Three decades of acting, singing, dancing, fashion designing must have given Jenny From The Block a keen understanding of what a woman needs to shake and flaunt to get ahead in the business called show, and it informs a performance of cold-eyed determination and genuine warmth. Excited talk about an Oscar is probably just excited talk, but she is very good.
Hustlers is a sub-Scorsese expose of American excess and inequality, but probably it lands its points as effectively as most of Marty's recent overblown efforts have. It does though have the same inbuilt double standard – a critique of materialism, expressed through a celebration of materialism. We hear the lecture but we enjoy the excesses, the flesh and the flash.
Directed by Lorene Scafaria.
Starring Constance Wu, Jennifer Lopez, Julia Stiles, Keke Palmer, Lili Reinhart, Mercedes Ruehl and Cardi B. 110 mins
Carefully timed to cash in on Jennifer Lopez getting snubbed for an Oscar nom, the home release of this drama in which various toned ladies inform us of the ugly truths of late-era capitalism by writhing around over objectionable Wall Street bankers.
In 2007 the ladies at New York strip clubs are raking it in as the lads are literally throwing money at them. Destiny (Wu) is something of a child until Ramona (Lopez) takes her under the flaps of her fur-coat and shows her the poles. Then, of course, everything goes subprime and the easy money dries up. After a few years apart the pair bump into each other at the start of the next decade and decide that their style of trickle-down economics needs a more forceful and underhand push.
These characters would have been window dressing in one of the orgies in The Wolf Of Wall Street. Putting them front and centre writer/ director Scafaria has approached the material with a restrained take on the Scorsese style. She opens up with a version of his tracking shot through the kitchen in Goodfellas and the film has plenty of the black comedy energy his films use to present based on true stories.
Those expecting some kind of elaborate scam will be disappointed; the ladies big hustle is just a crass, ugly cash grab but that's the point: there is no dignity here, it's just one group of ruthless materialists preying on a more entitled group of ruthless materialists. The most horrifying thing in is the horrendous, overpriced tat – shoes, bags, furs - the ladies fritter their hard-grifted money away on.
The film offers a stark illustration of how money and power stratify us. There is plenty of nudity but not involving any above-the-titles talent; only supporting players and extras have to go the Fully Mindy. Jennifer Lopez though throws herself into the gymnastics with almost chilling assurance. She's isn't just here to demonstrate that she is still hot stuff at 50, but reawaken distant memories of her being a credible actor. Three decades of acting, singing, dancing, fashion designing must have given Jenny From The Block a keen understanding of what a woman needs to shake and flaunt to get ahead in the business called show, and it informs a performance of cold-eyed determination and genuine warmth. Excited talk about an Oscar is probably just excited talk, but she is very good.
Hustlers is a sub-Scorsese expose of American excess and inequality, but probably it lands its points as effectively as most of Marty's recent overblown efforts have. It does though have the same inbuilt double standard – a critique of materialism, expressed through a celebration of materialism. We hear the lecture but we enjoy the excesses, the flesh and the flash.
