American Pimp (2000)

You have to hand it to Albert and Allan Hughes, two fearless film makers, that take us along to see how the other half live. The world of the pimp, in this case, American pimps, is something no one had dared to explore up to now. Whether it's worth your while to take a look, or not, is ultimately, up to the viewer.We are presented several men who make a living out of women. These men that are showcased in the documentary appear to be well adjusted to their status. They are all successful in what they do, otherwise, one can't explain how they have stayed around for such a long time. Their stories, which obviously are spontaneous, tend to bore us eventually. After all, how many times can one hear them repeat themselves again and again using the same derogatory tones for the women they exploit. What the Hughes didn't show is the other side of the coin: how these women exploited by their pimps. They only present a few prostitutes who appear to appreciate the role of this element in their lives. The directors also tend to glorify, in a way, the sleekness of the pimps' style, which tend to make them dress in outrageous costumes that only them can wear in our society.The film is an eye opener about an underclass we know little, or nothing about. One can only hope they will not be role models for others to follow in their footsteps.

First of all, this documentary is well edited, well photographed, and features a kick-ass soundtrack. The subject in itself is interesting, at least from a sociological and psychological perspective.Having said that, I agree with a previous review that stated that it was boring. There's only so much "You know what I'm sayin', b*tch" that I can take before I start to yawn.What they should have done is interview more than just the pimps. They should have interviewed social workers, street workers, police officers, doctors, etc. Then we would have had a greater and more meaningful perspective on the world of pimps and hookers.I realize that the Hughes bros. wanted to focus only on the pimps themselves, but after 10 minutes, we already know that these are uneducated, manipulative egocentric slimeballs with a maximum vocabulary of maybe 10 words. These are not deep thinkers with lots of interesting observations to make. At the start of the film, we see a one minute vignette of different white people giving their stereotypical view of what pimps are. This film proves them right.

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.

The Hughes brothers cover every aspect of a world we all could only dream of holding knowledge in. every possible question you could dream up of the lifestyle, income, or origin of pimping is laid out in front of you in remarkable fashion. *****