Whup That Trick! Get 'em! Whup That Trick! Crunkadelic "Hustle & Flow" is Not to Be Missed!

Memphis is a city known for being the home of the late Elvis Presley and his mansion Graceland. It's also known for being the wordlwide hub of FedEx. (But you knew that already, didn't you?) And if you are really scratching your head for a tourist icon from this humid, hungover river city of the South, then there's Mud Island Park.

But one thing that you may not know (but, damnmit, you should) is that "crunk" is to Memphis what a venti skim latte is to Seattle. That's right, kids, Memphis is crunky, crunkalicious, and totally crunktastic. More to the point, Memphis is the setting to one of the most exciting and engaging films of the year, "Hustle & Flow."

Directed and written by Craig Brewer, and co-produced by John Singleton under his New Deal Productions moniker, "Hustle & Flow" is the tale of a two-bit North Memphis ghetto pimp and pot-dealer named DJay who is facing down a bout of sudden-onset mid-life crisis. Dealing with this crisis leads DJay and an old high-school aquaintance to start song-writing and recording an independent hip-hop demo.

Despite a couple of almost cringe-worthy moments of melodrama and ghetto cliche, "Hustle & Flow" manages to be an earnest, entertaining and surprisingly unglamorous and authentic portrayal of how, under the most desperate of circumstances, hip hop inspiration, perspiration and collaborative talents can add up to create unforgettable art.

"Hustle & Flow" was the major critical and popular darling at this year's Sundance Film Festival and by the time the movie's credits roll, you'll know why. This one is going on our top ten list for '05.

Hustle and Flow - Official Movie Web Site

Posted by Robsam at July 28, 2005 09:29 PM