Hustlers (2019)

Hustlers (2019) was meant to be a film about female empowerment. And it was, to a certain extent. I expected and wanted this to be a kickass and complex film of sexy women who use their confidence, skills, and wits towards a brilliant plan to get revenge on the Wall Street guys who wronged them. I'd imagined an Oceans 11 vibe and plot. The film was disappointing, but even more than that — it was quite frankly a bit boring at parts. I’m saddened to admit it. Although the film is based on a true story, it would’ve been wise and skillful had the director and writers taken more artistic liberties to make a blockbuster-worthy story. Maybe my expectations were too high, a set-up for likely disappointment. Review originally posted in 2019. (Note: spoiler alerts ahead)

The female friendship scenes had great aspirations but unfortunately fell flat due to poor delivery, even to the point of being cringe-worthy. It’s a shame, seeing as there was such star power in the cast — Constance Wu and Jennifer Lopez are usually stellar actresses, but as Destiny and Ramona, they were not very compelling. It’s admirable that the movie tried to show a story of women loving and caring for each other as close friends, but in terms of conveyance, it came out tacky. The laughs and friendship seemed inauthentic, even forced. There were rumors of drama behind the scenes, although Constance Wu disputed such stories as “an age-old attempt to pit us against each other and knock us down”, and Jennifer Lopez defended her co-star. Perhaps the directing style induced poor acting. Maybe the actors were asked to do too many retakes of the scenes, which caused the friendships to seem forced. Speculation aside, the BFF scenes appeared contrived and “trying too hard”.

Overall, not much happened throughout the movie. The whole film reamed like a montage of stripping, drugs, and sex. There’s nothing inherently wrong with montages of stripping, drugs, and sex — and it was entertaining to watch… at first. However, the film substituted too many gratuitous party scenes for any substantial plot or character development. The story and scenes that existed could’ve been done in 45 minutes instead of 107. Overall, the characters didn’t really do too much. The women basically just seduced and drugged the men to steal their money. There was nothing too complicated involved.

What is a “hustler”? Raising kids and working? Being a single mom? Taking care of your grandparent, daughter and working without a partner? Seems admirable in all cases. The women of Hustlers work hard — physically, emotionally, intellectually. They are constantly getting taken advantage of and keep hustling to take care of themselves and their families. But this film is not about sex workers rising above the industry. This film is about unapologetic women who are very close to white-collar criminals and decide there is no reason not to squeeze these Wall Street men dry. It is magically performed by a large cast of women, led by Jennifer Lopez and Constance Wu. Fingers crossed that they are recognized for the performances during awards season. Women are powerful and shrewd throughout Hustlers. The audience is always rooting for them and always on their side, despite the criminal behavior. “Having all women on the set — in front of the camera, behind the camera, behind the scenes with producers — it’s definitely a different experience. It’s not something that happens every day in Hollywood,” Lopez told The Hollywood Reporter. “I’ve done, I don’t know, 40 movies or something like that. It’s never happened. I don’t think it’s ever happened.” It’s a different experience for the audience, too. With a female-led cast, a female director, and female writers, we are introduced to several well-developed female characters. They are well aware of the universal oppression of the Wall Street-ers who patronize their club, even before the crash of 2008. These men are just idiots who spend their money on a fantasy provided by the women. But the women in the film are in on it — they are in control. Sexy and driven, smart and clever. Also, don’t forget that Jennifer Lopez is 50 years old! Her character, Ramona, is the leader of this group of sex workers, but there is no shock or shame based on her age. Life does not end for middle-aged women, despite Hollywood’s typical perspective on them. Many reviews and interviews agree that Hustlers is a love story. It is the story of found family — friendships among women who are looking after one another when no one else is on their side. They are never at odds with each other. Even during the few disagreements, they are compassionate and empathetic to one another, with genuine love and care. And no catfights! What a concept! Destiny, played by Constance Wu, is immediately in awe of Ramona. She isn’t competitive or jealous of her, instead feeling respect and admiration. When Destiny reaches out for some pointers from Ramona, Ramona literally embraces her with open arms. This is a much more accurate portrayal of most female friendships than movies tend to lean on. Typically in film, if women are not just the partner of the main character, they are fighting each other (usually over a man). Hustlers is comedic in the most charming ways, and never at the expense of anyone but the men.