A Group of Dancers Turns a Financial Crisis into Their Fortune

From left: Lili Reinhart, Jennifer Lopez, Keke Palmer,
and Constance Wu in "Hustlers"
Photo Credit: Imdb.com

As with any historical event, there are a wealth of stories to be told.  There are some that are easy to believe, and there are others that are true, but you have trouble believing.  With the 2007-2008 financial crisis, director Adam McKay tackled this subject with his 2015 film, “The Big Short.”  While this movie took an approach that pretty much encompassed the bigger picture of what happened, we now have a true story from that event that focuses on a smaller occurrence within that larger story, but one that’s just as involving.

Writer-director Lorene Scafaria brings us her crime drama, “Hustlers” (for which McKay was one of the producers), which tells an intriguing account of how a scam against Wall Street workers went right, and then wrong, and it makes for one of the year’s most entertaining films.

In 2007, Dorothy (Constance Wu) is trying to earn money by dancing at a strip club in New York City that’s frequented by stock traders.  Being new to the place, fellow dancer Ramona Vega (Jennifer Lopez) helps Dorothy get the run of the place.  After the financial crash results in the club losing most of their business, Ramona comes up with a plan to bring clients from the outside to their club and hustle money out of them.  With the help of Dorothy and two other dancers, Mercedes (Keke Palmer) and Annabelle (Lili Reinhart), they have a lot of success.  However, as their riches build and their lifestyles become more luxurious, their new venture soon begins to fall apart.

Wu provides a terrific performance that has us experience her conflicted feelings with how she earns money, but also has us know why she’s doing it.  There’s an abundance of drama within her character because of how she grows into herself and becomes Ramona’s business partner, but also when she begins to question the morality of what she and her group are doing to their clients.  Wu’s performance as Dorothy reminds you of Ray Liotta’s portrayal of Henry Hill in “Goodfellas” because, like Hill, Dorothy is mentored by a more experienced person in her line of work, tries to make a living through crime, and is then thrust into tense situations when the authorities begin to close in on her and her friends.  We sense her panic as she tries to hold everything together when it all seems to be coming undone, while also trying to keep a level head and manage any trouble, and we’re absorbed in her journey because we know what she has to lose.

Lopez delivers a dynamite performance as Dorothy’s compassionate mentor.  There’s both love and an underlying fire to Lopez’s work that makes her so entertaining and enthralling to watch.  She presents someone who’s quick on her feet to make sure that everything goes according to plan, investing you in the meticulousness that she displays early on as their plan comes together and is then enacted.  Just like with Dorothy, Ramona has much for which to live, but seeing all of the success go to her head later on offers some tense drama as she starts to become reckless and continues to justify her actions, even when the plan starts coming undone.  After a string of mediocre movies, this is a vehicle where Lopez’s acting talents can shine once again.

The strong mentor-mentee relationship between Dorothy and Ramona digs deep into their clashing viewpoints as to how they should go about their questionable actions.  We go from what seems to be an unbreakable trust between the two to one that becomes tenuous, and the volatility of their situation soon proves to be the breaking point, leading us on a thrilling journey as they try to cover their tracks.  The connection between Wu and Lopez is what makes this movie spark.  Wu draws you into the story itself, and Lopez draws you into their world, and watching their characters help each other and then have animosity between then makes for some compelling interactions.

Scafaria’s screenplay, which is based on Jessica Pressler’s 2015 “New York” magazine article, “The Hustlers at Scores,” brings us a story that offers the audience a chance to connect with the four main characters and wonder if we would be able to go through the ethically ambiguous actions of the characters.  Scafaria offers insights into the lives these characters, such as what their lives are like at the start of the movie and what their dreams for the future are, and through all of this, we know the personal reasons as to why they choose to hustle their clients.  This not only makes for a thrilling crime movie, but also an emotional one.

As you watch this movie, you can make an unexpected comparison between this film and Scafaria’s 2008 screenplay, “Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist,” which was directed by Peter Sollett.  This was released during the recession and takes place in New York City, although the financial crisis isn’t mentioned, whereas Scafaria now revisits late ‘00s New York and shows a shadier side of recession-era New York City, whereas her depiction of NYC in “Nick & Norah” was more romanticized.

Scafaria shows a strong dedication to immersing us in the film’s setting, such as a long take that introduces us to Dorothy’s work life.  This long take, which is from cinematographer Todd Banhazl, lasts for the first few minutes of the movie, with the camera following Dorothy from the dressing room into the main room of the club and staying with her as she walks around and interacts with some clients.  With the film’s noteworthy camerawork, great acting, amazing soundtrack (including a perfect use of Lorde’s “Royals” during a pivotal scene in the film’s last half hour), and detailed set design, everything fits together without fail.

Although the drama helps keep you invested in “Hustlers,” there isn’t any denying that this movie is also so much fun.  The characters may be after huge sums of money, but you’ll want to hand yours over so you can see this several times.

Grade: A