The main character is ostensibly Destiny (Constance Wu), whose flashbacks help a journalist (Julia Stiles) reconstruct her story. I say "ostensibly" because JLo, as veteran stripper Ramona, utterly dominates the movie as soon as she appears onscreen, performing acrobatic pole-related feats to Fiona Apple's "Criminal." It's love at first sight for Destiny, who later seeks out Ramona and asks for some mentoring. Generous to a fault, Ramona takes her new protege fully under her gloriously fur-clad wing, and a close friendship soon develops. The two are separated briefly, and upon reuniting, combine their powers with a couple of younger strippers (Keke Palmer and Lili Reinhart) to wring enormous amounts of money from Wall Street types, with, er, pharmacological assistance. Alas, nothing lasts forever, and soon the jig is up for these entrepreneurs.
Hustlers is fun, but never loses sight of its core dynamic: the strong respect and affection between Ramona and Destiny, whose shared ambitions and similar work ethic elevate both to a level of power and control that they always craved. Wu, despite terrible bangs, is effective here as a grounded foil for JLo's powerhouse ringleader, whose desire for more conquest ultimately leads to the group's downfall. Interestingly, it's their clashing viewpoints about the consequences of their actions that drive the wedge between them: Destiny is uneasy about exploiting the johns, whereas Ramona passionately proclaims that their clients/victims deserve to be fleeced. "If we don't do it, someone else will," she reasons.
As the movie reaches its conclusion, Destiny, now estranged from her fellow hustlers, asks after Ramona, who shows that she still cares deeply for Destiny. Some bonds are too powerful to break, but they can be weakened. The love story in Hustlers ends with Janet Jackson crooning in the background. Perfection.
TL;DR: Very well-made film! Highly recommended!
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