Barnes & Noble

No actor had a busier, better 2005 than Terrence Howard, who wowed audiences with standout roles in Crash, Get Rich or Die Trying, and HBO's Lackawanna Blues. His most magnetic and memorable role of the year, though, came in this highly entertaining drama. Howard plays DJay, a very small-time Memphis pimp/drug dealer who can barely make the rent -- his ride doesn't even have air conditioning. And while his way with words and philosopher's bent serve him well in all his less-than-legal activities, he wonders whether he's wasting his skills. A chance encounter with an old friend (Anthony Anderson) who is now a recording engineer reignites his long-forgotten dreams of being a rapper. Recruiting a gangly white kid with a drum machine (DJ Qualls), they transform his ramshackle house into a recording studio while DJay puts pen to paper and unleashes his flow. And when it's learned that hip-hop star Skinny Black (real-life rapper Ludacris) is coming back to his Memphis 'hood for a visit, DJay sees this as his one shot to make something of himself. Writer-director Craig Brewer, a Memphis native, imbues Hustle & Flow with the city's rich musical heritage, and the scenes where the three construct their crunk tracks (which are quite good) bristle with creative energy. The uglier (some would say only) side of pimping is all but glossed over, however. DJay's women (Taryn Manning and Taraji P. Henson in breakout performances) don't like the job but they like him, and he's never shown laying a hand on them. If it seems like Brewer is dealing in mixed messages, he is. Still, Hustle & Flow is a dream-it-and-do-it self-actualization fantasy, not unlike the "let's put on a show!" pictures Mickey Rooney made in the 1930s. Andy Hardy may have never sold pot or sang a song like "Whoop That Trick," but DJay is trying to better himself, and his creative spark transforms all those around him. None of this would have worked at all without Howard, who absolutely burns up the screen and has you rooting for him all the way. A feel-good pimp movie? Damn right. Bill Pearis

All Movie Guide

One man's struggle to rise above his circumstances prompts him to try a career in music in this acclaimed drama from writer and director Craig Brewer. Djay (Terrence Howard) is a low-level pimp and drug dealer who scraped together a living in the ghettos of Memphis, TN. Djay isn't happy with his life, and the realization that he's reached the same age when his father unexpectedly died has made him start thinking about changing his ways. Djay has always had a gift for spinning stories, and after picking up a cheap keyboard, he begins picking out beats to go along with his rhymes. After bumping into an old high-school buddy who works in gospel music, Key (Anthony Anderson), Djay decided to take the plunge and remake himself as a rapper. With the technical know-how of Key and the musical input of a local beat maker named Shelby (DJ Qualls), Djay begins turning his way with words and his first-hand knowledge of the street life into music, as his two live-in girlfriends, Lexus (Paula Jai Parker) and Shug (Taraji P. Henson), add their musical input and emotional support and Nola (Taryn Manning) continues to turn tricks to pay the bills. When local boy-turned-nationwide hip-hop star Skinny Black (Ludacris) comes to town to pay a visit to Arnel (Isaac Hayes), a club owner friendly with Djay, he sees an opportunity to put his demo in the hands of someone who can bring his music to the masses, though it turns out to be far more difficult than he expected. Hustle & Flow had its world premiere at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival, where it received a number of rave reviews and took home the Audience Award. Mark Deming

Chicago Sun-Times

Every good actor has a season when he comes into his own, and this is Terrence Howard's time. Roger Ebert

Product Details

• UPC: 097363456544
• Time: 1:54:00
• Sales Rank: 18,057

Features:

• Rapper DJay (Howard) works the angles to get his first record made, with help from assorted people in his Memphis &;apos;hood. And when he hears that rap superstar Skinny Black (Ludacris) is heading to his area, he throws together a supreme hustle to grab Skinny&;apos;s attention. Available Subtitles: English Available Audio Tracks: English (Dolby Digital 5.1), English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround) Commentary by: writer-director Craig BrewerUnknown Format Behind the Hustle By Any Means Necessary Creatin&;apos; Crunk Memphis Hometown Premiere Six promotional spots