'Hustlers' is so good it had me hyperventilating; it's a modern classic

Hustlers is many things. It's one of the best, most enjoyable movies I've seen all year, it's a celebration of women both behind and in front of the camera, it's a coming out party for writer-director Lorene Scafaria as a major filmmaker and a breakthrough for a never-better Jennifer Lopez, who finally has a role and film up to her formidable talents.

I can't express how much I love this movie. From the very first frame it took hold of me and didn't let go.

It's a remarkable magic trick of a movie, the first film I can remember seeing where men truly were inconsequential and on the periphery. It almost feels accurate to call this film a female GoodFellas but I don't want to reduce its impact by comparing it to a male-dominated drama.

This is a film about some really intense friendships, some pretty outrageous behavior and it has sex appeal to spare (I mean, my GAWD, I think my glasses fogged up). I worry that some people will presume that this film is about T & A and miss out on how moving it actually is. If people can go in unbiased they'll be endlessly charmed and entertained. It's the movie I wanted Ocean's Eight to be, quite frankly.

It doesn't feel exploitative or cheap. It's really just a well-crafted crowdpleaser of the first order. Even the closing credits are a blast.

It's got virtuoso single takes, a banging soundtrack and its very, very well-written with a mix of unforgettable quotable lines and authentic human moments between J-Lo and her crew, which is anchored by a fantastic Constance Wu, whose demonstrating yet again what a versatile movie star she can be.

Wu has the tougher role, she has to be the babe in the woods who winds up getting too deep in a criminal scheme hatched by Lopez's character which I can't spoil. She has to run the gamut of emotions here -- not unlike she did in Crazy Rich Asians -- but she never makes it look difficult. She is totally credible in every scene and she really packs a wallop.

The rest of the supporting cast is note perfect, although Cardi B and Lizzo are here in glorified cameo roles, which may disappoint some fans expecting more of them. But what they do get is Lopez in the role of her career.

Fans of Out of Sight and Selena have been waiting decades now for Lopez to show off the dramatic chops she clearly always had. Somehow her career in pop music and series of unremarkable rom coms diminished her reputation. But this film should put to rest any skeptics about her.

She's so charismatic here, and yes, incomprehensibly beautiful, but there's an empowering spirit that her character brings to every scene she's in, she's as layered and lovable as any Scorsese or Tarantino protagonist. She's the host of this party -- and she makes you want to live in the world as long as you can.

If there is a quibble with this film it may be that its theme of getting over on the rich is a little too on the nose, but I loved it -- it felt timely -- even if the film beautifully evokes the post-Great Recession era throughout.

It's the kind of movie I root for to be a hit -- not just because it was written, directed and starring so many remarkable women -- but because it's also so damn fun and so damn good. Now, give J-Lo the Best Supporting Actress Oscar, she truly deserves it.