HUSTLERS REVIEW

*MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS*

Following its premiere at the Toronto Film Festival earlier this month, Hustlers received a positive reception. I was surprised by this as the trailer didn’t impress me much and I passed it off as simply a film about strippers. However, after watching it at an early preview screening, I was proven wrong and I enjoyed Hustlers more than I thought I would.
Hustlers is based on New York magazine's 2015 article "The Hustlers at Scores" by Jessica Pressler. The story centers around a group of strippers, Destiny (Constance Wu), Mercedes (Keke Palmer) and Annabelle (Lili Reinhart), in New York City, led by an ambitious single mother, Ramona (Jennifer Lopez) as they lie, steal, and hustle dozens of wealthy men when the sex industry bottoms out during the late-2000s financial crisis. A journalist, Elizabeth (Julia Stiles), covering the story for a magazine interviews Destiny and tries to figure out where it all went wrong.
For most of its 107 minute runtime, Hustlers is never anything less than compelling, empowering and thrilling. Because I wasn't familiar with the article that this is based on, I had no idea what to expect and found it to be an unpredictable watch. Because Hustler's runtime is under two hours, it moves at a brisk pace, with a rarely a dull moment to be found. To be honest, how can a film about strippers be boring? The biggest highlight of the film sees Ramona dancing round a pole. In preparation for Hustlers, Lopez, who portrays, Ramona, trained for pole dancing and even had a detachable pole in her house. The hard work certainly paid off as Lopez wows the audience from her first scene.
I think that a lot of films surrounding sex work depict it in a negative way, however, what I found refreshing about Hustlers is that the characters aren't slut shamed or stereotyped. They are human beings who struggle with paying the bills and looking after their children. They aren't earning enough money from their regular jobs so they perform at the strip club. However, after the financial crisis of 2007-2008, the women struggle even more which leads to them spiking the men's drinks in order to get their money. While this is wrong, the women aren't seen as bad people and are portrayed in an empathetic way. Ramona makes a valid point when one of the women asks her what happens if they call the police and says that they won't take the men seriously if they say they've spent thousands of dollars at a strip club.
Hustlers features a star studded cast that includes Lopez who is mostly known for her singing career and for releasing hits such as 'Jenny From The Block', 'Love Don't Cost A Thing' and 'On The Floor'. Unfortunately, her acting career hasn't been as successful, after appearing in romantic comedies and providing voice work in animated films such as Home and two of the Ice Age films. However, in Hustlers, she delivers her best performance yet and showcases her talent as a serious actor. She develops Ramona into a fierce and likable individual. While I do think that it's too early to say, I wouldn't be surprised if Lopez received her first Academy Award nomination for Best Actress. After appearing in last year's Crazy Rich Asians, Wu gives another impressive performance as the main protagonist, Destiny. Solid supporting roles come from Palmer, Reinhart and Cardi B.
Hustlers is directed by Lorene Scafaria, who previously directed The Meddler, starring Rose Byrne and Susan Sarandon, and Seeking A Friend For The  End Of The World, starring Steve Carell and Keira Knightley. However, with Hustlers, she proves to be the perfect choice to direct as she fully understands the characters and how to make them interesting individuals. She also wanted to show strippers in an empowering way and I think that she has succeeded. I can imagine that a lot of people will have their views on strippers changed by Hustlers.
Prior to watching Hustlers, a lot of people will think that being a stripper and earning a lot of money is easy, however, it doesn't shy away from the downsides, with men groping and trying to take advantages of the strippers. While Ramona sees no problem stealing from rich men, Destiny is more sensitive and feels guilty after speaking to one man on the phone who says that he's going to lose his job because of their actions. Destiny also hides her job as a stripper from her grandmother, who thinks she's a waitress, and future employers and tells them that she was a bartender. I think that this film will resonate a lot with those involved in sex work as they will understand the shame that the characters feel. However, personally, I see nothing wrong with it and I think that, with the release of Hustlers, people will see strippers in a different way and see them as human beings with feelings, rather than just sluts. I do think that it's the kind of film we need right now, especially with the recent #MeToo movement, as it shows that women aren't just sex objects, we're all human that can do whatever we like with our bodies.
Led by a scene-stealing Jennifer Lopez in her best performance yet, Hustlers is one of the biggest surprises of this year and is never anything less than a thrilling and captivating watch.
8/10