01/16/06 Hustle & Flow

Hustle & Flow (2005), directed by Craig Brewer

watched w/ Leslie (partially); DVD rental (Netflix) @ home

A very gritty & emotional portrayal of coming from nothing, trying to be something, falling back to nothing, and leaving optimism in the end for something. Up & down, yet the characters pull you in & make you want to know what is going to happen. Howard earns well-deserved praise for his role here, and director Brewer shows promise. Plus, you can hear D-Jay say "man" w/ that Memphis twang...eat your heart out Nelly.

4 out of 5 stars