{"id":10224,"date":"2019-09-12T10:34:41","date_gmt":"2019-09-12T17:34:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog-proxy.atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/?p=10224"},"modified":"2019-09-13T15:28:20","modified_gmt":"2019-09-13T22:28:20","slug":"tiff-hustlers-review-three-reasons-to-see-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/hustlers-review\/","title":{"rendered":"TIFF &#8216;Hustlers&#8217; Review: Three Reasons To See It"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">In December of 2015, Jessica Pressler\u2019s <em>New York Magazine<\/em> article &#8220;<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecut.com\/2015\/12\/robin-hood-strippers-scores-c-v-r.html\">The Hustlers At Scores<\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">&#8221; hit newsstands. It was an incendiary article about strippers from a New York club who drugged and robbed wealthy, scuzzy, Wall Street types in order to hustle a system that didn\u2019t want them to succeed. Now, Lorene Scafaria (<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Seeking A Friend For The End Of The World<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">) has brought the story to life in the intoxicating\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.atomtickets.com\/movies\/hustlers\/277157\"><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Hustlers<\/span><\/i><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">. If\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/ready-or-not-review\/\"><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Ready Or Not<\/span><\/i><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0was the most fun you\u2019d have in a horror movie this year, get ready for the best time you could possibly have at a strip club \u2026 without actually going to one, of course.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Hustlers<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0follows Destiny (Constance Wu) as she joins the ranks of the pulsing strip club that will change her life. Daunted by the prospect of having to hand over more than half of her meager earnings to the scum bags who run the joint, she seeks out the help and mentorship of Ramona (Jennifer Lopez), the primo boss bitch of the club. They decide it\u2019s time they get what they deserve, which is a fairer shake than their clients will ever offer them. In their minds, they\u2019re just taking what they\u2019re owed for their work and, sometimes, their humiliation.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1080\" height=\"608\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/GSr6hcCgCbc?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">But does it manage to tell a compelling story without glorifying crime? Does it offer something beyond a look at luxury?\u00a0<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Hustlers<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0is a bold, brash film about the power of women when they band together and the brokenness of a system that rewards the rich and punishes the poor with a side of some killer pole dancing. Read on for three reasons you\u2019ll want to check out\u00a0<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Hustlers<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0in theatres this weekend.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span data-contrast=\"auto\">1. Jennifer Lopez and Constance Wu<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559685&quot;:360,&quot;335559738&quot;:360,&quot;335559739&quot;:120,&quot;335559740&quot;:276,&quot;335559991&quot;:360}\">\u00a0Are Mesmerizing<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/images.atomtickets.com\/image\/upload\/h_960,q_auto\/v1\/ingestion-images-archive-prod\/gracenote\/assets\/1910016.jpg\" width=\"2275\" height=\"960\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">As if we hadn\u2019t already fallen head over heels for Constance Wu\u2019s economics professor,\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">Rachel Chu,<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0in\u00a0<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Crazy Rich Asians<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">, now you get to see her as a foul-mouthed stripper with lofty ambitions. Pairing her with Jennifer Lopez in what may be a career-best performance was just a stroke of genius. They\u2019re the heart and soul of the film.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Wu\u2019s Destiny, a young woman living with her beloved grandmother and struggling to make ends meet, wants nothing more than to be totally self-sufficient. Lopez\u2019s Ramona, the intoxicating mistress of the club, wants to make money and grab power by the proverbial balls. The two form a surrogate mother-daughter bond, effortlessly leaning into deeper, more emotional moments, while showering each other with genuine care and affection during moments of levity. Their revelry is so infectious, you won\u2019t want to miss a second. Nothing beats their first encounter; after watching Ramona do\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=pRhOWrk5_NM\" data-rel=\"lightbox-video-0\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">the most insane pole dance ever committed to the silver screen<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">, Destiny heads up to the roof to bum a smoke and ask her for help. There she sits, the mighty Ramona, draped in expensive furs with sky-high heels and a particularly choice\u00a0g-string\u00a0bodysuit. \u201cClimb into my fur\u201d she coos at Destiny, her legs and coat open, without missing a beat. It\u2019s pitch-perfect, and the start of a beautiful friendship.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span data-contrast=\"auto\">2. The Strip Club Pre-2008 Recession<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559685&quot;:450,&quot;335559738&quot;:360,&quot;335559739&quot;:120,&quot;335559740&quot;:276,&quot;335559991&quot;:360}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/images.atomtickets.com\/image\/upload\/h_960,q_auto\/v1\/ingestion-images-archive-prod\/gracenote\/assets\/1910014.jpg\" width=\"2284\" height=\"960\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">When we\u2019re first introduced to the strip club it seems shady and shitty, a hellhole where the bosses and their buddies take the women for every cent they make. But that changes, and fast. As soon as Ramona enters the picture, it feels like someone turns on a light. Everything comes alive as the women begin to open up to one another and bond. The money starts to flow more freely, and Destiny starts to feel more secure and empowered.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">There\u2019s a lot to love about the women of this strip club. For starters, we get a short but hilarious cameo from\u00a0Lizzo\u00a0as she plays the flute for one of the girls\u2019 new breast implants. Then there\u2019s Cardi B, a natural in front of the camera as she offers Destiny a very necessary lap dancing 101 class. This is followed by a scene where the women of the club commiserate about having zero interest in sex when they get home at the end of the night, with Cardi proclaiming she\u2019s found the perfect man &#8211;\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">the Rabbit<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">. The camera takes us through this world with swift, sweeping movements, the scenes cut perfectly, filled with bright neon lights. Everything feels like a party, one that the women of the film are fully in control of. It\u2019s a happy space, and one you\u2019ll wish you could sit in for an hour or two.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span data-contrast=\"auto\">3. The Strength Of Unified Women And A Female Perspective\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559685&quot;:450,&quot;335559738&quot;:360,&quot;335559739&quot;:120,&quot;335559740&quot;:276,&quot;335559991&quot;:360}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/images.atomtickets.com\/image\/upload\/h_960,q_auto\/v1\/ingestion-images-archive-prod\/gracenote\/assets\/1911280.jpg\" width=\"1440\" height=\"960\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">It must be said that they don\u2019t always get along. Eventually, they start to evolve \u2013 and not always in positive ways. But the film is at its strongest when its women are unified, something it owes in large part to\u00a0Scarafina\u2019s\u00a0screenplay.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">When Ramona and Destiny first meet, we expect competition. Ramona is, after all, the top dog at the club. The highest earner, the star of the show, you\u2019d think she\u2019d want to keep the fledgling Destiny underfoot in order to avoid being overshadowed. But Scafaria takes things in a healthier direction, one that allows the women of\u00a0<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Hustlers<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0to work together and support each other. Strip clubs may seem like the dominion of men, a place for women to be objectified, their autonomy sometimes subjugated, but that\u2019s not the case here. In\u00a0Scarafina\u2019s\u00a0world, they\u2019re in control. Not unlike the mood in the club before the recession hits, the women are vibrant and infectious. Hilarious, nuanced, and complex, they\u2019re written as real, fleshed-out human beings rather than some fantasy that exists in a man\u2019s mind. They\u2019re in charge of their narrative and at their strongest when they work together, a luxury seldom afforded female sex workers in film.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">A little overly long,\u00a0<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Hustlers<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0is hardly a perfect film. But length and pacing issues aside, it\u2019s both incredibly fun and surprisingly poignant. With killer performances and some truly outstanding pole dancing (really, I can\u2019t stress this part enough! It\u2019s mesmerizing!)\u00a0<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Hustlers<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0is the most fun you\u2019ll have in theatres this fall.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><em>Hustlers<\/em> is in theaters this weekend.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.atomtickets.com\/movies\/hustlers\/277157?ref=insidertickets\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-7948\" src=\"https:\/\/blog-proxy.atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Get-Tickets.png\" alt=\"get tickets\" width=\"200\" height=\"100\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In December of 2015, Jessica Pressler\u2019s New York Magazine article &#8220;The Hustlers At Scores&#8221; hit newsstands. It was an incendiary article about strippers from a New York club who drugged and robbed wealthy, scuzzy, Wall Street types in order to hustle a system that didn\u2019t want them to succeed. Now, Lorene Scafaria (Seeking A Friend [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":26,"featured_media":10226,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[52],"tags":[40,37],"class_list":["post-10224","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-review","tag-featuredpage","tag-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10224","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/26"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10224"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10224\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10227,"href":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10224\/revisions\/10227"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10226"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10224"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10224"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10224"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}