Hustlers

This film is a case of just a wee too much ambitious hype.  Jennifer Lopez, Constance Wu, Julia Stiles, Keke Palmer, Lizo, and Cardi B are an impressive and diverse group of actors and entertainers and this certainly sells the film and bolsters the budget.  Much like Casino and Goodfellas, it's a film that takes you into the seedy life of strippers turned criminals and is told from that voice, most notably and commendably from the real star here in Constance Wu. Oh, but let's not forget about the pole dancing skills of a 50 year old Jay Lo that's displayed at the onset. Unfortunately, this display and her admirable return to some real quality acting, and the nice directing of  Lorene Scafaria aren't quite enough to keep Hustlers from reaching a sustainable heightened interest throughout the film.  It's also a character driven heist film focusing primarily on the relationship between Lopez and Wu, which seems to lose much of its momentum in the midst of everything else going on.  So while it doesn't have all the strengths of cohesion and character development of a Set It Off or a Widows, it is a decent enough film to watch - just once.