Hustlers - 5/5

When the trailers hit YouTube a couple of months ago, it completely grabbed my interest. The premise looked interesting, and the cast was outstanding. While it is easy for films to never live up to your expectations, I am so happy to say this film does - in fact it exceeded my expectations. So let's talk about what is so great about it -

The Story

The events in the film did happen. A bunch of smart New York women who were employed as strippers decided to take down the white collar wall street men. Why? Because they screwed over the world and caused the financial crisis from 2008.

The script and directing

In the past, films that were heavily female centric were always given the 'poor cousin' treatment. Bad scripts, and poor direction, cause Hollywood knew no one would take "chick-flicks" seriously. However, the remarkable Lorene Scafaria writes some very witty and smart lines. The dialogue is A grade. The direction is the same.

The acting

There have been some rave reviews for J.Lo. Truth be told, she is really amazing in this. Her opening number to Fiona Apple's Criminal stamps her territory as the boss in charge and her performance maintains it's pace from then on. Constance Wu, who is the main character, is also brilliant. The two of them together make this film outstanding.

The diversity

Not only are the women in the lead and are the masterminds, but the two leads are Latina and Asian American. The others in the group are also women of colour, with the exception of Lili Reinhart. Throw in cameos by Cardi B and Lizzo, and you have the most racially diverse representation of women in a mainstream film.

Hustlers is a reminder of how great the results can be when you let talented women write about other women. Add a bunch of diversity to the casting, and you will get a film that everyone will want to watch. Go see this movie - it is one of the best of 2019!