Originally published in West Hawaii Today, September 20, 2019

“Hustlers” is more than just the ultimate feminist movie. It’s a sobering, insightful look at the good, bad, and ugly of chasing the American dream and offers a screen load of ideas about the way capitalism works.

It also features a nuanced, Oscar-level performance by Jennifer Lopez (Out Of Sight, Selena) as the leader of a group of New York strippers whose eye-opening professional life consists of grinding, pole dancing, dollar bills, music, sex, and demanding men.

Lopez eventually creates a family unit of ladies who find themselves in disparaging financial situations. So, what do they do? They create a way to scam their mostly Wall Street customers by drugging them and running up their credit cards. An illegal operation at best, and unsettling to watch. The film is loosely based on the book, “The Hustlers At Scores,” by Jessica Pressler.