Pimpin' ain't easy

Winning the Audience Award at this year's Sundance Film Festival helped secure newbie writer/director Craig Brewer's "Hustle & Flow" a record-setting $9 million distribution deal with Paramount Classics and MTV Films, which, in turn, will propel the film into popular consciousness and 1,000-plus theaters. Though, when all is said and done, the flick will be better remembered as a star-making vehicle for its star Terrence Dashon Howard and a flawed yet promising calling card for Brewer.\nHoward stars as DJay, a Memphis, Tenn.-based pimp and sometime drug dealer, with dreams of rap stardom inspired by local boy-turned-worldwide celebrity Skinny Black (Ludacris). As clichéd as this sounds it isn't. Sure, DJay unapologetically hustles his stable of hoes, which includes lippy exotic dancer Lexus (Paula Jai Parker), pregnant sweetheart Shug (Taraji P. Henson) and corn-fed chick with braids Nola (Taryn Manning). Then again, he grows tearful when listening to a church-based gospel choir. How often do audiences see the hard-ass hero of a "hood" movie cry for any reason other than that of a friend or family member's drive-by death? The answer quite simply is rarely, which is what sets "Hustle & Flow" apart from its contemporaries.\nAiding DJay in his quest for a hip-hop breakthrough are Key (Anthony Anderson), an old school friend dabbling in producing, and Shelby (DJ Qualls), the skinny organist at Key's church with surprisingly adept beat-making skills. More often than not these two actors are employed in lesser works as comic relief. Here, while each has moments of humor, they are playing things relatively straight. Anderson's turn in particular is inspiring. Between this, a recent series of guest stints on FX's "The Shield" and upcoming work in Martin Scorsese's "The Departed," he could become a dramatic actor of some note.\nAs good as much of the cast is -- this is Howard's movie hands down. Howard is one of those actors who audiences immediately recognize -- he was also in "Ray" and "Hart's War" -- but rarely know his name. Between "Hustle & Flow" and an inspired turn earlier this summer in "Crash," this will all soon change. This is, bar none, Howard's finest hour -- much of his acting is done through the eyes and is convincing enough that audiences will like and care for the essentially unredeemable DJay. He also does his own rapping on the insanely catchy crunk numbers "Whoop That Trick" and "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp."\nUnfortunately, Brewer's writing and direction aren't up to par with Howard's performance. Some last-minute hood histrionics spoil the goodwill fostered earlier in the picture, and come across as a stereotypical interpretation of the "Street." Hopefully, he'll have learned his lesson prior to teaming up with Samuel L. Jackson and Christina Ricci for the "Hustle & Flow" follow-up, "Black Snake Moan"