The Hustle (2008)

The Hustle: Directed by Deon Taylor. With Charlie Murphy, Al Shearer, Tamala Jones, Brigitte Nielsen. Disenchanted pest sprayer and single dad Freddie Manning is always trying to hustle a tiny bit more from his disappointing life when he suffers a series of setbacks that puts him in the unlikely position of his biggest hustle yet. It all starts when he falls upon a large sum of mob money, which Freddie and his cynical, naysaying best friend, Junior, lose in a crazy chase through the city. Freddie and Junior are left owing Asian crime boss Toshiba Ohara and his spicy daughter, Han, $10,000 ~ in seven days! The pair don’t know what to do until they’re mistaken for the Replacement Ministers expected at a struggling, run-down Baptist church during a pest call. They trade their Bug World outfits for minister robes and soon are inspiring the tiny but enthusiastic church into a fevered fundraising campaign. Freddie knows nothing about preaching, but his hilarious, straight-from-the-heart sermons seem to touch people and no one is more surprised than Freddie when his fake healings become real ones. Along the way, the congregation and community are forever changed, but not as much as Freddie and Junior themselves. With fresh, exhilarating performances by a top-notch cast, including Al Shearer, Charlie Murphy, Tamala Jones, Brigitte Nielsen, David Alan Grier and others, The Hustle will warm your soul and tickle your funny bone.

“Junior Walker and Freddy are exterminators. Freddy still lives with his mother, who is raising Freddyu0026#39;s daughter and wishes her son would grow up. As a result of a wild chase, Freddy accidentally caused the Chinese mob to lose $10,000, and the mob want their money back in a week–or else! The guys get a painful demonstration of what could happen.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eOne of the companyu0026#39;s clients is the predominantly African-American Bethel Baptist Church, whose pastor is old and fat, and his second-in-command is eager to replace him. The pastor mistakes the exterminators for replacement pastors that he had asked for, and they donu0026#39;t deny thatu0026#39;s who they are. The pastor ends up in the hospital in a coma, so Freddy and Junior take over as pastors, to the dismay of Brother Efrom, who has them checked out.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eFreddy, who admires the work of greedy and charismatic TV preacher Rev. Isaac Montgomery Paid, sees a perfect way to make money. Easter is a week away, and Freddy sets a goal for the struggling congregation. Only a few people show up the first Sunday, but people like Freddy a lot, and while they donu0026#39;t give at first, Freddy is very persuasive and goes out into the community. Derrick, one of the few white people at this church (and maybe the only one) offers to put some life into the churchu0026#39;s lame band.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eSo will Freddy succeed? Not just in raising the money but in remaking the church.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThis movie has its good points. While Freddyu0026#39;s intentions are less than honorable, he does good work in the process. It is true that this movie does not have a lot of respect for Christian values. But most of the characters seem genuine in their faith, in the sense that they are holier than thou and their own sins arenu0026#39;t as but as other peopleu0026#39;s. Thatu0026#39;s about as genuine as you will usually find in Hollywood.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eDavid Alan Grier is the standout performer, and I do mean performer. The TV preacher only appears on TV screens.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eJohn Witherspoon, who is great as the Presidentu0026#39;s Dad in u0026quot;The First Familyu0026quot;, plays a barber. I liked seeing him here.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eI have to wonder why, a week before Easter, no mention was made of Palm Sunday, or Maundy Thursday, or Good Friday.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eI saw a cleaned-up version but it is obvious this film is vile and filthy.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eIs it a movie with a faith message? Yes, in a sense it is.”