Hustle and Flow (DVD)

Here is the film that stormed Sundance and equally handled the box-office to the tune of $22 million, which is a hefty sum for an independent feature and for good reason - this is a fantastic film.

Hustle and Flow was written and directed by Craig Brewer and tells the story of Djay (Terence Howard), a less than glamorous pimp suffering a mid-life crisis, and even though his life of hustling his pro, Nola (Taryn Manning) or selling the occasional bag of weed is enough to get by he finds himself wanting more. That "more" I refer to comes in the way of an electric keyboard given to him by a transient for a dime sack of weed. Djay begins to tool around with his new found instrument, but things don't click until he meets up with an old-time buddy Key, a small-time, local music producer played by Anthony Anderson. Anderson is phenomenal here and I am baffled as to why it wasn't until now that we see Anderson taking on more demanding roles, roles that work to his strengths. Anderson played a key role in season four of "The Shield", and while that performance was great this one knocks it out of the park.

Key's resume includes church choir performances and legal depositions so to say that he is more than delighted to take on Djay's request would be an understatement. From that point forward it is all about laying down that one track that will make Djay a star and get him out of the Hustle and Flow.

Terence Howard once again proves he is a star on the rise and if he isn't nominated for his performance in this movie there is something seriously wrong with the Academy. I am also willing to say that if he isn't strongly considered for the Oscar the system is broken and needs some serious looking at. Hell, I would even be willing to nominate Howard for his performance in the horrible film that was Get Rich or Die Tryin' as a supporting actor, he at least made a few of the scenes in that movie bearable. But to say this is a one man show wouldn't be fair.

On top of Howard's top notch performance I have already told you how good Anthony Anderson was, but there is also something to be said for Teraji P. Henson who plays Djay's pregnant girlfriend Sug (pronounced Shoog). Henson takes a stab at ripping out your heart in one of the best scenes of 2005.

As for this DVD's special features they are well worth the watch as they tell the story of the movie's history from conception to its premiere in Brewer's hometown of Memphis where the cast and crew receive more than a warm welcome. There is also an audio commentary with Brewer, which is probably the first place you should go. While the featurettes give you a good idea of what everyone else thought of the picture this is where you will get Brewer's personal thoughts as you will soon realize this movie is a roundabout way of him getting his own story on screen through Djay.

Hustle and Flow is a movie I wish I had seen in theaters as it certainly would have found its way onto my top ten, if not at the number one slot. While there are a few rough patches there are scenes that make up for them that immediately follow, and to top it off this film has one kick ass soundtrack. Buy it, watch it and show it to a friend. Trust me, all involved will be happy with what they see.