Hustlers’ “Hustlers” Is a Heist Movie Venues: Scores

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2019 | SERVING CHICAGO’S LEGAL COMMUNITY FOR 164 YEARS | CHICAGOLAWBULLETIN.COM VOLUME 165, NO. 184 Oscar-worthy J. Lo steals the show in heist film ‘Hustlers’ “Hustlers” is a heist movie venues: Scores. buys and the intoxicating — fast-paced, beautifully Backstage she finds a strip - appeal of belonging to a photographed and per - per “family” of supportive community — even if that formed by women at the top women, including characters community is a criminal of their game. played by rapper and former enterprise. Based on the true story of stripper Cardi B; earworm In a cinematic gender strippers at the Scores gen - virtuoso, body-positive reversal, the men in this tlemen’s club in Manhattan activist and flautist Lizzo; and movie are background play - who drugged high-rolling Keke Palmer, best known for ers and underdeveloped patrons then pilfered their her role as a middle-school characters placed in subsup - credit cards and charged spelling bee contestant. REBECCA L. FORD porting roles — ex-hus - them to the limit, “Hustlers” The women’s dressing bands, policemen, complicit has the shape and feel of a room chatter telegraphs the victims. Scorsese film — a stripper deadening effect that sex-as- REBECCA L. FORD is counsel With its objectification of “Goodfellas.” performance has on sex-as- to Scharf Banks Marmor women’s bodies (of all In fact, Scorsese was the pleasure. And the movie LLC, and concentrates her shapes and colors) and trans - first director offered the shows the many hands that practice on complex actional sex, “Hustlers” can’t script by the producers, even skim the dancers’ earnings litigation, compliance, board be called a feminist movie. before Lorene Scafaria, who during the course of a night. governance and specialized But it is all about girl power. wrote the screenplay and There is an art to stripping, employment issues. She is the And it’s all about Jennifer advocated for the project as we learned from “Gypsy” former executive vice Lopez. since Jessica Pressler’s 2015 nearly 60 years ago. Great president for litigation and Constance Wu may be the New York Magazine feature dancers must be aerialists intellectual property at leading actor, but Jennifer about the racket. and athletes with Cirque du M G M . r f o r d @ s c h a r f b a n k s . c o m Lopez is the star of “Hus - Jennifer Lopez plays Soliel moves. This art is tlers.” Somewhere in an attic Ramona, the head stripper in exquisitely demonstrated in The guys who remain are there is a Dorian Gray-style charge, a mother hen who an ethereal scene, in which cruel, cheap, oddballs or all portrait of Lopez that has shows the main character Lopez teaches Wu a medley of the above. aged to look like you or me, With its objectification of women’s bodies (of all shapes and colors) and transactional sex, “Hustlers” can’t be called a feminist movie. But it is all about girl power. and ingénue, Destiny (Con - of pole-dance positions to To survive, the ladies need while the real Lopez is even stance Wu), the ropes. master for a compelling another hustle. more stunning and athletic The story is told from show. What distinguishes “Hus - than she was as a “Fly Girl” Destiny’s point of view. Big spenders. Happy tlers” from other recent dancer on the ’90s comedy She’s been dancing at small dancers. The sky is the limit heist movies featuring series, “In Living Color.” clubs to support herself and until the market crash of women is that it’s not about In an Oscar-worthy per - her grandmother. Now she 2008. the heist. It’s about the love formance, “Hustlers” is the has ascended to the When Wall Street dries of the game, the exhilarating jewel in Jennifer Lopez’s Carnegie Hall of stripper up, so does club patronage. independence that money crown. Copyright © 2019 Law Bulletin Media. All rights reserved. Reprinted with permission from Law Bulletin Media..

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