Believe the hype: Jennifer Lopez is sensational in “Hustlers”, playing the leader of a former strip club employees who got their revenge on their Wall Street clients following the crash of 2008. How and why? You’ll have to see for yourself. But I will say that I walked in to see this fact-based movie with no particular expectations, and what I got in return was a solidly crafted film that kept me intrigued at every turn. It’s tempting to reveal some of its cleverest moments, but that would be unfair. It can be said, however, that Lopez gives a fully committed performance worthy of all the praise coming her way. And she is surrounded by fine actors who go beyond the call of duty to remind us that this is a real story and all these characters are real people. Writer-director Lorene Scafaria walks a fine line between satire and reality, veering from comedy to drama in a snap of a finger. And at the end, “Hustlers” managed to entertain me while giving me plenty of food for thought. That’s no easy achievement.
Categories: 3/4, comedy, drama, The Twenty-First Century