Hustle & Flow is the story of a pimp who aspires to break free from being that to become a rapper. DJay (Howard) is a pimp for three girls, Nola (Manning), Shug (Henson) and Lexus (Paula Jai Parker). He meets with an old friend, Key (Anderson), who helps him record a demo. Key’s friend, Shelby (Qualls), does the mixing.

The performances are great. Qualls is hilarious as the scrawny white kid in the hood, but he plays it with a sincerity that keeps it from being cliché. Henson is sweet and innocent and gives the film more heart. Each actor gives his or her character a humanity that allows you to relate to them.

There’s a great scene between Key and his wife, Yevette (Elise Neal), that shows a good marriage becoming great. Key is spending a lot of time in the studio, missing dinner frequently. Yevette is distraught. But instead of getting angry, she supports Key’s efforts by bringing him and the others sandwiches. Very touching.

But there are also great scenes between Shug and DJay, and Djay and Nola, that are equally inspiring. Hustle & Flow shows what can be accomplished when you believe in yourself because someone else believes in you.

At first glance, one may be inclined to dismiss this film as just another 8 Mile. There are a few similarities between 8 Mile and Hustle & Flow. Both are about a male who is stuck in a rut and dreams of breaking free by succeeding as a rapper. Both are about finding your voice and following your dreams. Both have Taryn Manning.

But the similarities end there. 8 Mile and Hustle & Flow are as similar as any two films within the same genre. One romantic comedy doesn’t differ that much from the next. Any horror flick has the same basic plot as another. Most action flicks follow the same basic formula.

But every movie has its own uniqueness – some considerably less than others, but still different. That’s why we keep watching movies. That and to be entertained and to occasionally be enlightened and inspired.

Hustle & Flow fulfills all of those reasons. It is entertaining, enlightening and inspiring.

In 8 Mile, the focus is primarily on the main character’s attainment of his goals. In Hustle & Flow, we see each character’s growth and personal fulfillment.

In 8 Mile, the main character has a crappy job, but it’s a regular, hourly pay, weekly paycheck kind of job. In Hustle & Flow, the main character is a drug-dealing pimp. Sure, day jobs suck. But not in the way pimping and pushing drugs does.

I’m not trying to say that 8 Mile is an inferior film. I worked on it as an extras casting assistant, so I should be denouncing Hustle & Flow to defend my own ego. But both films are great. I like Hustle & Flow better, however, because we do see more than one character’s perspective.

Also, Hustle & Flow has changed my perspective on a couple of issues. Before seeing this film, I used to think having a ‘street job’, such as pimpin’ or ho’-in’, was a cop out. I’d think, “why don’t you suffer through a regular job like the rest of us?” Not that I thought these professions were glamorous. But I must admit, I did tend to think of various Hollywood portrayals that present pimps, ho’s and dealers as wildly rich and care free. Plus, you don’t have to work eight or more hours a day, necessarily. So that seemed like a plus. Never mind the danger and horror of it all, right?

But now I can be more sympathetic towards someone stuck in these situations. Jobs like working in an office or waiting tables are pretty crappy. But not compared to having to performing sexual acts or making someone else do it to pay the rent.

It also bears the explanation that a lot of individuals in those situations are likely there because they had no one who believed in them or even had someone who told them they were nothing. So they came to believe that they couldn’t do any better. That ties back into the theme about what you can achieve when you have someone to encourage you. Or what you can’t when you don’t.

Before Hustle & Flow, I enjoyed rap & hip hop music. But I always was on the side of the argument that labels such music as less ‘real’, as in, "that's not 'real' music". My dad played for Motown during the days of Aretha, Stevie and Smokey. He played the guitar. I viewed rap & hip hop as less legitimate forms of music because they don’t involve playing an instrument.

But there is an art form to rap & hip hop and it’s shown in Hustle & Flow succinctly but in sync with the growth of the character. As DJay “finds his mode”, we see how different beats are chosen and merged with the voice tracks.

I remember the backlash that occurred from musicians like Tom Petty when sampling first became an issue. It was considered plagiarism, basically.

Hustle & Flow doesn’t feature sampling of other artists, but it relates to that issue since it’s all tied to not using instruments to create music.

Music is music, instruments or not. And sampling is an art form, the same way that creating a remake of a film or an adaptation of a book or TV show is.

I wrote an article last week that argued that we may have lost our creativity as a society because of all the film remakes and adaptations that are being made. But I see now that those endeavors can be just as creative as an original screenplay. I still think that most are being made for profit rather than art, but as long as they have something to say, or at least are entertaining, then great.

We use art to express our thoughts, feelings and ideas, and to share those things with others in hopes that it all means something. If anyone gets happiness from that and it’s not hurting anyone, then it is worthwhile. I can even tolerate Avril Lavigne and Dave Matthews and perhaps even the remake of Texas Chainsaw Massacre (but that’s a big perhaps) now given my new perspective. They make some people happy. Although I’m not sure they aren’t hurting anyone. I find the music of the former very painful and I can’t even begin to explain the pain the TCM remake causes me. But I digress.

Most movies are just a good way to kill two hours. A few are something you can watch over and over and use to bond with your friends, acting out scenes and quoting lines. But when you can walk away from a movie with a new perspective, then that is a really great film. Hustle & Flow is a great film.

Grade: A