American Pimp (2000)

Save your money for something good and enjoyable

Pretty Good

I'll tell you why so serious

It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

American Pimp, a film by the Hughes brothers, is probably more entertaining, almost in a manner that crosses between a typical documentary and as one of the film clips shown from the Mack as an exploitation film, than it deserves to be. But then the Hughes brothers have made a film about exploitation, the self-glorified glory of it, the stylish inner world that they've created for themselves and their 'ho's' that is like the mob only, well, more stylish and specific. Unlike the mob, as the film tries to show (however true to life compared with facts you be the judge) that they aren't all violent criminals, but see it as a way of life. The Hughes's- maybe wisely and not wisely at the same time- don't try and interfere with these guys and their dialog. There's no preachy message that "pimping and prostituting is wrong." They know audiences aren't completely numb to what the facts are in a (for now) criminal enterprise.But, as I said, it's also entertaining, the kind of entertainment that comes from listening to someone you know is crazy or f***** up and at the same time has a weird, hypnotic quality. They go through telling what it's all about- the breaking in, so to speak, of new prostitutes for the pimp, when said prostitutes might leave, the ins and outs of being a new pimp or an old pimp or someone who talks a big game and may or may not mean what he says. Actually, for the latter, the Hughes's don't seem to skimp on any of their interviewees: they all appear to be genuine to the business, appear being the big word. But it's the intent that counts, and these guys at least sound the part, as well as look it, and in a dirty way these guys are really, really funny, sometimes without trying to be even due to their own self-aggrandizing. As for the prostitutes themselves, they are shown not quite as much. While it might have been difficult for the Hughes's to get any legitimate documentary footage of them, aside from a couple of moments revealed like when a pimp named RC (I think that's his name) berates a girl for getting drunk, with the menace of violence in the subtext, it works fine as it is.It's like a candid string of tall tales from characters painfully believable, as those who think that the media portrays them stereotypically, and why not? Some of these guys ARE walking stereotypes- doesn't stop them from getting their pimp-hand on. It ain't easy, but it's almost in a guilty way insatiable.

If you really want to know about pimping this is the movie for you. I love the pimps in the movie and it really has a great soundtrack to it. My favorite pimp has to be Gorgeous Dre. His style is so unique, until you wish you were one of his girls. But to me the most tackest two has to be R.P. and C-note. Ladies, if you ever see these clowns in the streets try to avoid them at all cost.

I could only sit through about fifteen minutes of this and here's why: It seemed to me (although correct me if I'm wrong please) that they were showing black pimps only. The box cover gives such an impression also. Are we supposed to believe that being a pimp is cool or something to look up to? These people are gutter filth who live and prey off of others. I don't rate them much higher than child pornographers. I couldn't help but get the feeling that they were aiming to make it seem to be a 'cool' part of black culture. Weird what people look up to nowadays. I've only one question to anyone who thinks in this way: How cool would it be if it was your mother being whored out? All this aside I was drawn to watch the film because I thought we'd get a look at this particular section of life's underbelly. The 'cool' factor was overwhelming me to the point of annoyance and unrealism so I had to switch the channel. From what I saw....not recommended.

The Hughes Brothers look into the world of pimping in America. They interview pimps and `ho's' from New York, Hawaii and all over the USA. Pimps share about how they came into the game, what they do, how they are perceived and what they are needed for among other topics.I have watched many documentaries into the sex industry and have seen good and bad ones. The best ones are objective and they let the bad side and the good sides of any subject just come out without forcing the point or judging them. Louis Theroux is one of the better ones at this – he has done documentaries on pimps, porn and hip hop and has simply let his subjects talk – basically feeding them the rope as they want it till they eventually hang themselves without even knowing it!With the Hughes Brothers attached to this documentary I had hoped it would be this type of thing. So I wasn't surprised when it started out glamorising the life. But I waited for the film to show me something that would hang the subjects on the bad sides of their lives. Even when the pimps talked about beating girls etc they were allowed free reign to defend themselves and were never pushed for details. Are they trying to be ironic I wondered? But no, instead the bad sides is only skated across when you compare to how much screen time is sent defending and glamorising the lifestyle.The pimp life can't be too difficult to expose as cruel and exploitative can it? But here this documentary manages to do neither. Women are interviewed but only in the segments where their contributions are used to defend or support the glamorised version of events. But when the pimps talk about beating girls – no girls are there to put their side! Likewise I would like to hear more girls talk about how they feel to have the one man in their life called them `b*tches' all the time and taking their money.The pimps all come out of it well despite being honest at times. The fact that all but one of the pimps are black made me wonder if it is only a black thing in America. Maybe this is the reason for the Hughes brothers bias – they are middle class and maybe their guilt makes them believe their `brothers' when they say `it was my only way up' etc. They manage to be so in awe of their subjects that they fail to bring anything of value out of this film. I know they must have been being careful not to judge or look down on their subjects, but their approach simply allows the pimps to talk – so do you really think we're going to get a full and honest picture about this business?Overall I gained nothing from watching this and at best it bored me. The pimps simply talk game to cameras for 90 minutes and at the end of it I felt that they had been allowed to used me just like they use their `b*tches'. I expected more from the Hughes brothers.