Netflix can’t get enough of Adam Sandler. Every other news story featuring the comedic talent seems to be about his newest picture deal with the streaming giant. It speaks to the audience size of Sandler and how easy his content is to watch. No disrespect to Sandler, as he deserves all the success he’s achieved, but most of what he produces is basically the same. Every so often though, Adam Sandler has a trick up his sleeve. His latest flick, Hustle, is the rabbit he pulled out of his hat. The funny moments are there, but this movie has more.
Hustle is just another job on the resume’ of Sandler (impressive though it is) but this is only the second feature film for director Jeremiah Zagar
Sandler takes the screen as Stanley Sugarman. Stanley is a professional player scout for the Philadelphia 76ers and one of the best at what he does. Though the organization loves him for his work on the road, Stanley is tired of the travel grind that keeps him away from his family and he desperately wants a spot on the bench as one of the assistant coaches. He’s promised a slot on the staff if he can find the last missing piece of the puzzle that will ensure the 76ers are a championship caliber team, and so reluctantly, he embarks on one last run to search for that one special player.
Hustle is just another job on the resume’ of Sandler (impressive though it is) but this is only the second feature film for director Jeremiah Zagar. His work on this picture all but ensures that it won’t be his last. His style includes a lot of close shots in where the actors look directly into the camera. Normally this isn’t that customary a thing, but the method in which he implements it works well for the picture he’s trying to paint for the audience. At times, it can even be uncomfortable. This is clearly the intention though, as much of what’s in frame is meant to be jarring or even daunting in those moments. Sandler displays some of the most genuine honesty in his performance that he’s ever shown in his entire career. Audiences are so used to his approach to comedy that it’s often forgotten he’s a real actor. Sandler and Zagar also do a stellar job at showing the bureaucracy of the NBA and how politics can influence the inner workings of the organization. The participation of numerous NBA players, coaches, agents, and pundits was an equally strong contributor to showing the reality of how the NBA functions.
Hustle won’t just be another blip on the screen, no, this one makes a mark. It accomplishes what few films do even if it doesn’t do it perfectly. There’s plenty of time allocated to comedy, but there’s also heart and soul in this movie. There are even moments when it pulls the audience out of believing this to be a feel good film. Sometimes it can even feel trivial to the average person, but the writers make sure to show how much this all means to the chief characters. Be sure not to miss it.
