Mr. Smith Gets a Hustler

Reviews complaining about the "cheapness" of this low budget film really have no business watching this really fascinating glimpse of the crime infested underbelly of New York City, circa late 90's.."Mr Smith" isn't one of these modern so-called "indie films" with a million dollar budget;it is the real deal; a movie created with little else besides talent, and a passion for the art of film-making. For someone who lived in NYC when the meat packing district was still populated by pimps and male prostitutes, this is an awesome nostalgia piece. And it should be noted that this is not a "Gay Film" at all. Although the story takes place within the "rent boy" scene, that is merely a backdrop for a crime story, and a tale of redemption. Viewers looking for a movie filled with nude guy on guy action will most likely be bitterly disillusioned with this movie. Big on character development, we are introduced to a family unit broken by crime, alcoholism, and selfishness. Actress Anna Thompson, known for many New York themed movies, plays the alcoholic mother to Bobby, who is making a living as a male escort. He works out of a seedy bar on the West Side, which is obviously a mere front for criminal activity, as there are never any customers inside. He's got a vicious pimp, who sends his sex workers to local hotels to hook up with men for cash..One night Bobby meets a strange client, Mr. Smith, an older man who doesn't want sex from the boy, and finding out who this man is in relation to Bobby is at the heart of the film. For fans of "Underground" cinema, and for those who seek out movies that focus on New York City, in a realistic way, I strongly recommend "Mr. Smith Gets A Hustler..." For fans of Hollywood trash, aka "disposable cinema," you have no business even watching a film like this; it will be utterly wasted on you...

As the end credits for this film rolled, I said to my viewing companion, "It's films like this that remind you what utter crap most of the big-name pictures that the majors churn out these days are." Even if one of the big-studio execs had the guts to green-light a project like MR. SMITH GETS A HUSTLER, the star casting, phony gloss, cookie-cutter direction and inevitable contrived ending would have ruined it. This gritty little movie lacks all of those "attributes," I'm happy to say, and is all the better for it.

MR. SMITH is not for those with, shall we say, delicate sensibilities. It is not a docu-drama on the world of male hustlers or a study of the psyches of its denizens, and the reality of the lives of those who rent their bodies out in the Big Apple is irrelevant to the plot. Matthew Swan's script establishes a shadowy world on the fringes of what we call "society," and tells, in a simple but compelling manner, the story of how a particular set of circumstances impacts the lives of a half-dozen of its inhabitants.

The characters are complex and credible, as are the top-notch performances of all those portraying them, from the central ones (Alex Feldman as hustler Bobby and Larry Pine as the mysterious client Mr. Smith) to the peripherals (such as Jodie Baker as Sheila). Special praise is deserved by J.D. Williams as Abe, a "colleague" of Bobby's who finds himself in over his head.

Ian McCrudden's direction is spare in style and rich in character development, and the rough-edged production design and cinematography suit the story perfectly.

If you saw HARD EIGHT and liked it, give MR. SMITH a shot. I stumbled across this one, and I'm very glad I did.

Bobby Blue is a NYC hustler who supports his dysfunctional mother with his earnings. Their fiction is that he's working at a restaurant and making great tips. When Bobby Blue meets a new john who isn't interested in sex and takes him to a basketball game, Bobby doesn't know what to think.

This not-so-well-made film suffers from all of the typical indie woes. Some of the problems may have been budgetary but others seem to just be bad story telling.

It may have been the theater I saw this in, or that we were seeing a video of a film print, but the color in the film seemed to be way off and many parts of the movie were terribly overexposed.

Scenes that took place in a bar in the meatpacking district seemed very off. The only customers in the bar were the principals, Couldn't they get any extras to appear as other customers?

Also, having lived in NYC for the last 20 years and having met a few boys that have made their living this way I felt that the film-maker could have done his homework better. The relationship between Bobby and his `pimp' seemed very unrealistic (at least different from any that I had heard of). Also the going rates in the film seem to be way off. From what I hear, $600 will buy you a LOT more than what these boys were offering from boys that are way more attractive. Also the few hustler bars that I've actually been into would never charge $20 a beer.

Overall, I'd have to give this film a miss.

Much better than the title would suggest, but not as good as it could have been. I had low expectations, so I pleasantly found the film much more engrossing than I expected. OK production quality, generally quite good acting. My main complaint is they seemed to wrap things up to quickly at the end, as if they were running out of budget or film. But, good plot twists; keeps you wondering were the plot is going. At first I thought it was going to be a "gay Pretty Woman" - the client falls in love with the (male) hooker and rescues him from his low life surroundings. Then another plot twist; no love story, but the client will still rescue the hooker. In the end, it's the hooker who rises above his surroundings by himself.

Saw this movie completely by accident. Didn't know any of the actors involved but was prepared for the worst but was genuinely surprised. The movie was good overall and had a likable character in Bobby-the lead character.

Most movies that deal with this topic have characters that come off as homophobic straight boys or stereotypically gay, but the character of Bobby is different and this credit goes in part to the young actor and the director/script for giving him a likable disposition and circumstances that traps him into the lifestyle.

Props goes out to the supporting cast who did a great job showing that no one is either pure innocent or pure evil when you're dealing with prostitution and the resulting lifestyle.

The end song, "Wings on my ankles" is even catchy.

Definitely worth a look if the topic ever interested you.