The Films of Craig Brewer
The Poor and Hungry
Hustle & Flow (February 24/07)
Anchored by Terrence Howard's jaw-droppingly phenomenal performance, Hustle & Flow comes off as a fiercely original, thoroughly engaging effort that firmly establishes Craig Brewer as a major presence within the filmmaking world. Howard stars as Djay, a sleazy pimp/drug dealer who decides he wants something more for his life and subsequently embarks on a quest to become a rapper (Taryn Manning and Taraji P. Henson costar as helpful whores, while Anthony Anderson and DJ Qualls pop up as Djay's musical collaborators). Brewer has infused Hustle & Flow with a gritty authenticity that quickly proves impossible to resist, and there's little doubt that - if nothing else - the film succeeds solely as a compelling portrait of Memphis' seedy underbelly. Brewer's ability to elicit effective work from even the most minor of cast members is remarkable, as underwhelming actors such as Anderson and Qualls turn in surprisingly convincing performances (there's never any question that Howard owns the movie, however). And viewers with little appreciation for rap music will find it difficult to resist the exhilarating sequences in which Djay and his crew produce songs from the ground-up, with the creation of "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp" (which deservedly went on to win an Oscar) an obvious highlight. Even the inclusion of a few contrived third-act plot twists can't damper Hustle & Flow's overall effect, and there's certainly no denying the film's status as one of the most ingratiating inspirational tales to come around in a while.
out of
Black Snake Moan (February 28/07)
Though saddled with an admittedly risque premise - a retired bluesman (Samuel L. Jackson) chains a young woman (Christina Ricci) to his radiator in an effort to cure her of her "wickedness" - Black Snake Moan quickly reveals itself to be a compelling, surprisingly non-expoitative piece of work that benefits from the uniformly superb performances and writer/director Craig Brewer's distinctive sense of style. As was the case with Hustle & Flow, the filmmaker has done a fantastic job of infusing the movie's small Southern community with a real sense of authenticity - ensuring that even the most periphery of figures receives a healthy dose of character development (ie John Cothran Jr's local preacher and S. Epatha Merkerson's kindly pharmacist). Of course, there's little doubt that the film's success rests entirely on the shoulders of Jackson and Ricci - with the two stars effectively (and seemingly effortlessly) transforming characters that could've come off as one-note into fully-fleshed out creations. And although Black Snake Moan is never quite as engrossing as one might've expected, the movie is consistently entertaining and undoubtedly a fitting follow-up to Hustle & Flow.
