Who doesn’t love a good old ‘so absurd it must be true’ story? Many of these stories begin their life in the public eye as articles in newspapers and magazines (think Pain & Gain, Argo, The Bling Ring to name a few), and that is the case for the inspiration behind Lorena Scafaria’s Hustlers. Based on a 2015 New York Magazine article by Jennifer Pressler, this is a ‘only in America’ true story, one which Scafaria uses to both hold up a mirror to America and to be an empowering story of sisterhood, even in the face of increasing greed and absurdity.
The film follows Dorothy (Constance Wu) a young woman struggling to care for her grandma and to make ends meet, who earns money working as a stripper under the name ‘Destiny.’ She soon finds a mentor and a friend in seasoned dancer Ramona (Jennifer Lopez). When the 2008 financial crisis starts putting off the rich clientele from coming into the clubs, Ramona hatches a side-hustle which involves drugging wealthy men to make them more willing to part with their credit cards and cash. Soon enough, Dorothy finds herself operating as Ramona’s second in command. But how long can such a scheme last?
It isn’t hard to see what films (or namely what filmmaker) Scafaria is calling upon when it comes to the construction of her true-life story of a group of women hustling and enjoying the rewards while they can. From the many moments of slow-motion entrances into nightclubs set to needle drops and likeable people doing despicable things, the film simply exudes a ‘Goodfellas with lip gloss’ aesthetic. It makes for a visually dynamic film that makes great use of lighting to distinctly characterise different parts of its story. Moments of recollection with Julia Stiles’ journalist are much more clinical than the neon blazed, hazy landscapes of the nightclubs and bars where the women go to work, all shot with exceptional flair by DoP Todd Banhazl.
Scafaria uses this true life story of women looking to earn enough to live happy and large more as a means to portray a diverse friendship group and the little nuances of their personalities that make them different, rather than as a critique of Wall Street and the circumstances that led to the crash in 2008. Sure, that is an element of it, but a lot of its social commentary is played quite broadly (in America, everyone’s a stripper!), with the film taking more of an interest in what happens to the relationships of the women at its focus in the face of such circumstances, and of such a scheme.
That said scheme makes this a morally murky affair, and is all the richer for it. Constance Wu is brilliantly empathetic as Dorothy, that even as the hustle becomes too big to handle and even quite cruel, it is easy to stay on her side. The fact that we see so much misogynistic and shameful behaviour from some of the men that they target does make it easier too, but if it is largely down to Wu’s measured and carefully sympathetic turn that we stay on the side of her and the girls for as long as we do.
It also helps that the relationships between all the women seem to stem from a sense of genuine sisterhood, a sense that they all understand why they’re all in the situation they are and will have each others backs no matter what (well, that’s the case for the initial core group anyway). It makes for the moments where the core group of Dorothy, Ramona, Mercedes (Keke Palmer) and Annaelle (Lili Reinhart) celebrate and enjoy each other’s company in the early days of the hustle genuinely touching and infectiously joyous. Of course, the need to expand and to scam more money proves to be their undoing, but like all great caper movies, there’s a thrill to be had at seeing it all payoff, even if what they’re doing is morally deplorable.
While the whole cast are strong and it is their ties together that make the whole thing work, there is no denying that the diamond of the cast is the one and only Jennifer Lopez. I don’t think anyone would argue with the statement that this is her finest work as an actress yet. She has instant chemistry with Wu and brings such a raw swagger to the screen that it is hard to keep your eyes off her. It helps that Scafaria is clearly in awe of her star, giving her the best costumes, the most striking entrances and even the best lines. It is a performance that sizzles with the notion that this will likely become one of, if not the, defining performance of her career.
This is a deliriously entertaining, very funny, and occasionally shocking depiction of a true life story that is indeed so absurd that it must be true. With a sparkling cast, a career-defining performance from Lopez and some exceptionally stylish film-making, Hustlers is a thrilling night at the movies that deserves your utmost attention. Just mind your drink.
Hustlers is released in cinemas on Friday 13th September.
