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Welcome to Movies & Film
Movie Reviews, & Film Industry Commentary
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2005 – R – 114 min.
Director: Craig Brewer
Primary Cast: Terrence Howard, Ludacris, Anthony Anderson, DJ Qualls, Taryn Manning, Taraji Henson, Paula Jai Parker, Isaac Hayes
Stars *** (of 5)
Popcorn **** (of 5)
Film Type(s): Drama, Urban, Showbusiness
Synopsis: A pimp’s struggle to get out of his old neighborhood is the basis of this drama. Djay (Howard) is a Memphis, Tennessee pimp and drug dealer who isn’t happy with where his life is and where it’s going, particularly when he realizes that he is the same age his father was when he died. After bumping into an old school friend (Anderson) that is now a musical technician, Djay decides to use his talent for telling stories and selling his prostitutes’ wares and use them to rap, hoping to give a demo tape to local-boy-turned-Rap-mogul Skinny Black (Ludacris) at a Fourth of July picnic. With the help of his old friend, a white disc jockey (DJ Qualls), and his live in women, he struggles to get the demo ready. But will he be able to give it to Skinny Black?
Review: The independent film that could. This MTV Films release is a 1970’s throwback to Blaxploitation films that also contains a dynamite, Oscar-nominated performance by Terrence Howard as Pimp / Drug Dealer Djay. Howard accomplishes the difficult task of making a very unsympathetic, brutal, and opportunistic character into someone the audience sympathizes with and cheers on. Complimenting this is the excellent cast of supporting characters with Comedian Anderson as Key, an old High School friend of Djay’s that is now a musical technician for his church, and DJ Qualls as Shelby, a white musical wizard, putting Djay on his path. The meat of the cast, however comes from the women in Djays life, with Nola (Manning) turning tricks and Lexus (Parker) and pregnant Shug (Henson) doing what they can to help the process. Also giving the ‘70’s throwback feel is the use of the same musicians that worked on 1971’s Shaft doing the musical score and Isaac Hayes playing a local bar owner. What makes this film most engaging is seeing the evolution of hip hop songs from street to store and how they affect the lives of those involved. Even if you are not a hip hop fan, seeing this process in action will hold you in it’s thrall because you see how it came about. Rap group 3 6 Mafia won an Oscar for their song, “It’s Hard Out Here For A Pimp”.
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