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(1 - 44) of 44 OFCS Rating: 80% Fresh Page   1   C+ "If the film wasn’t teetering enough on the edge of formula for the first two acts, it sinks like a stone into absurdity when tempers flare and guns are drawn for the finale."   FilmJerk.com   Brian Orndorf 3.5/5 "somehow it pulls through, surpassing all the pimp and wannabe-a-rap-star shtick"   Filmcritic.com   Chris Barsanti "Like most any pimp and smalltime dealer (at least those in the movies), DJay thinks he's got it down."   PopMatters   Cynthia Fuchs 2/5 "Brewer's failures in the last thirty minutes overwhelm everything he got right in the first ninety."   eFilmCritic.com   David Cornelius 3/4 "Three words best sum up this fine film: Terrence Dashon Howard."   rec.arts.movies.reviews   David N. Butterworth 3.5/4 "...fiercely original, thoroughly engaging..."   Reel Film Reviews   David Nusair "If given a chance by mainstream moviegoers, 'Hustle & Flow' will sound good vibes."   ReelTalk Movie Reviews   Donald J. Levit C+ "The movie as a whole feels self-consciously 'important,' as if it's trying too hard to be a rising-up-from-the-streets story as powerful as 8 Mile was."   EricDSnider.com   Eric D. Snider 3.5/4 "When the white folk depart from the theater singing 'You know it’s hard out here for a pimp,' you know you have a true audience pleaser on your hand."   eFilmCritic.com   Erik Childress B "This particular crowd-pleaser has some moral issues it still needs to work out."   Film Blather   Eugene Novikov 3/4 "...has a more authentic and thorough scope that captures the seedy desperation of a street hustler...audacious, believable, and percolates with riveting forethought"   Movie Eye   Frank Ochieng B "A pretty good little flick--gritty, well-acted, and, up to the too-cute finale, mostly worth working to suspend disbelief over."   One Guy's Opinion   Frank Swietek 46/100 "We’re clearly meant to sympathize with his plight—being ‘stuck’ in this miserable lifestyle, being played by Skinny Black, having gone nowhere—but why exactly should we care?"   eCinemaCenter.com   Gabe Leibowitz B+ "Meditative and fierce, quiet and pounding, HUSTLE AND FLOW runs the board in a way that few films even attempt."   Mixed Reviews   Gabriel Shanks 3/4 "It celebrates art, hope, and dreams, and you don't have to like hip-hop to appreciate the message or the way in which it is delivered."   ReelViews   James Berardinelli 4/5 "Gritty-yet-gripping story of a pimp's redemption as a rapper is worth it for Terrence Howard's star-making performance."   Netflix   James Rocchi '3/4' "A stark street savvy jockeys for screen time with an overwhelming aura of futility and funk."   Palo Alto Weekly   Jeanne Aufmuth 7/10 "A great turn by Terrence Howard [and] real sympathy spun like gold from Taraji P. Henson."   Window to the Movies   Jeffrey Chen 7/10 "...an inspiring and ennobling character study in which love and respect trump pure success."   DVDTown.com   John J. Puccio 6/10 "Overrated Southern version of 8 Mile."   Planet Sick-Boy   Jon Popick '3' "The movie soundtrack bumps from the outset letting you know that whatever is about to happen over the next few hours, ya gonna feel it"   Bangitout.com   Jordan Hiller 5/5 "."   3BlackChicks Review   Kamal 'The Diva' Larsuel 3.5/4 "This is probably the grittiest film I’ve seen all year, but it’s also one of the more emotional."   Montreal Film Journal   Kevin N. Laforest A- "The look of wonderment that spreads across [Taraji P. Henson's] face when she first hears her backing vocals played back is one of the great movie moments of 2005. "   Reeling Reviews   Laura Clifford 3.5/5 "Memphis native Brewer pours a lifetime of Southern discomfort into a crowd-pleasing fable whose Cinderella narrative is offset by a richly unpredictable sense of place and character."   TV Guide's Movie Guide   Maitland McDonagh C "Like DJay, Brewer exhibits talent for what he does, but too much of it is in service of hogwash."   Reel Times: Reflections on Cinema   Mark Pfeiffer 3/4 "The little flashes of brilliance weren't offset by disappointments"   Movie Habit   Marty Mapes 3.5/4 "A deeply felt film that can speak to and empower just about any audience."   Mr. Brown's Movies   Michael Dequina 4/5 "While never sacrificing any of the hard-knock authenticity and specificity of his characters and their milieu, he has crafted a deeply felt film that can speak to and empower just about any audience."   Film Threat   Michael Dequina 3/5 "A perfect example of the manipulative power of a tale well told."   Goatdog's Movies   Michael W. Phillips, Jr. 3.5/4 "The film feels very authentic in the way it shows these characters slaving away at the demo tape that might open the door to a better life."   Aisle Seat   Mike McGranaghan C+ "Subtly glosses over the most despicable elements of [its] protagonist's behavior."   Lessons of Darkness   Nick Schager 4/5 "Merece créditos por seus dois primeiros atos e pelas performances excelentes que oferece."   Cinema em Cena   Pablo Villaca 3.5/5 "A strikingly personal story that constantly surprises us with its insights, even if it does wallow a bit in the criminal lowlife."   Shadows on the Wall   Rich Cline B+ "It may not be very believable, but it sure is unforgettable."   Laramie Movie Scope   Robert Roten B+ "Hustle & Flow may seem a fairy tale but there is still an edge to it in its finale."   Reeling Reviews   Robin Clifford "Hustle & Flow suspends you in its spell of mood, of feeling, of climate. It's a pop picture that finds its richness in peeling down to the essentials of good storytelling."   Salon.com   Stephanie Zacharek 5/10 "Filled with obscenities, it's abusive, abrasive - sexist and misogynistic - made memorable only by Terrence Howard's audacious, star-making turn."   Modamag.com   Susan Granger 3.5/4 "It's a familiar tale, to be sure, but Brewer wisely emphasizes character and verisimilitude over urban clichés in this absorbing drama."   Reel.com   Timothy Knight 1/4 "A maudlin, broadly-appealing, race-baiting melodrama that traffics in cliché and misogyny with as much ease as its happy-go-lucky pimp/drug dealer hero."   Film Freak Central   Walter Chaw 3/4 Read review   Q Network Film Desk   James Kendrick 3.5/4 Read review   MovieMartyr.com   Jeremy Heilman 9/10 Read review   JoBlo's Movie Emporium   JoBlo 3/4 Read review   Big Picture Big Sound   Joe Lozito  (1 - 44) of 44 OFCS Rating: 80% Fresh Page   1