His little renaissance has put him in a few movies over the last few months, most notable being Crash, where I was surprisingly impressed by his performance. But two things made me change my mind about seeing this film: 1) The buzz generated about it and 2) the fact that the lead Terrence Howard is slowly becoming the hardest working man in showbiz right now. He's been under the radar for some time as little more than just a very experienced television actor throughout the years. In fact it looked kind of corny, especially because I underestimated the lead, Terrence Howard. When I first saw the trailer for this movie, I thought, 'Are they for real or is this a parody?' A Southern pimp singing 'Whoop That Trick' was hardly a selling point in my opinion. With John Singleton in the producer's chair, HUSTLE & FLOW strikes an unprecedented balance between feel-good fare and unstinting urban drama, in what amounts to a powerful depiction of the pain and poignant struggle of those who populate this often-misinterpreted milieu. DJay is fraught with an undeniable misogyny that colors his otherwise sympathetic angst, and Howard portrays that complexity with grace and soul. There unfolds the triumphant meat of the story, where, against all odds-and after a few bouts of infighting-everyone pitches in to cut DJay's crunk demo.Essentially a rags-to-riches story, director Craig Brewer avoids the saccharine through his achingly human portrayal of the characters. Initially dubious, Key agrees to partner with DJay after hearing his stuff, and the two build a makeshift recording studio in DJay's back room, enlisting the aid of a skinny white boy (DJ Qualls) with an unlikely talent on the drum machine. Key is a small-time recording artist, and DJay, armed with a notebook full of lyrics, pays him a visit at home, much to the displeasure of Key's prim and proper wife (Elise Neal, PLAYA'S BALL). DJay's dissatisfaction is increasing as he senses that life has nothing more in store for him, but a chance encounter with an old school friend, Key (Anthony Anderson, KING'S RANSOM), reignites his musical aspirations. Nola (Taryn Manning, 8 MILE) turns tricks from the backseat of DJay's beater, while Lexus (Paula Jai Parker, LOVE CHRONICLES), the hustler's high-maintenance girlfriend, strips in a cellar-like club. Terrence Howard delivers the performance of a lifetime as DJay, a pimp and drug dealer eking out an existence with his three whores, one of whom, Shug (Taraji P.

A gritty fairy tale of dreams deferred, HUSTLE & FLOW infuses the torpor of the Memphis ghetto with electric tension.

Whoop that trick movie