On a crisp Saturday night in September, a private party celebrating the Hustlers premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival could be marked by two halves: Before Jennifer Lopez and After Jennifer Lopez. BJL spanned 11:30 p.m. to approximately 1 a.m. People were evenly dispersed throughout the bar, enjoying a routine soire. A place card brandishing Lopezs name sat on an unoccupied table. It was starting to seem like she might not show when murmurs rippled across the room. Shes here! AJL had begun.

As if lured by a magnetic cult leader or a Hollywood megastar, same difference partygoers drifted toward Lopezs pulpit, dazed, wanting a glimpse. They could only get so close. Her area had since been roped off. Bodyguards stood at either end to stare down potential interlopers. Other cast members orbited around the venue, but Lopez was the center of gravity.

In the ensuing weeks, the cosmos saw just how massive Jennifer Lopezs pull could be. Riding a wave of effusive reviews, Hustlers became the highest-grossing live-action film in her 33-year acting tenure, testifying to Lopezs fortitude as a multihyphenate pop phenom. She was dubbed an immediate Oscar contender.

In the end, though, Hustlers also underscored how much Hollywood has slighted Lopez. That buzz wasnt enough to land her the nomination , a fact that is surely rooted in how the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and our culture at large views women. Someone as famous as Lopez isnt serious enough to join such lofty ranks, especially when shes playing a thieving stripper.

Oscar omission aside, the success of Hustlers raises a valuable question: Why hasnt Lopez gotten roles this dynamic all along?

Her finest acting comes when shes exuding control, and when she can use that control to mask a characters vulnerability. Think of the Out of Sight scene when Lopezs slick federal marshal has to shoot the criminal (George Clooney) she loves. Or the moment in Selena when she mocks the medias scrutiny by bragging that her diet consists of pepperoni pizza and Doritos. Like Hustlers, those movies understand that Lopezs charisma stems from her ability to win anyone over.