I don’t think there’s any doubt anymore that Adam Sandler is a great actor.
It used to be that critics would use the excuse that he was “used well” by great filmmakers in past films such as “Punch-Drunk Love,” “Uncut Gems,” and “The Meyerowitz Stories,” but can we just acknowledge how utterly effective he is as a dramatic actor?
Sandler’s latest movie, “Hustle,” is currently #1 this week on Netflix. However, this is not a goofy comedy, it’s a serious sports drama. And it’s reviewing very well. “Hustle” currently has a 92% on Rotten Tomatoes with over 100 reviews counted, and 91% from audiences.
It’s a feel-good sports take that doesn’t shortchange its audience either. In it, Sandler plays Stanley Sugerman, a travel weary Philadelphia 76ers basketball scout who has dreams of becoming a coach all while looking for the next big talent overseas. His search leads him to Spain where he discovers Bo Cruz (NBA player Juancho Hernangómez). Cruz has no professional experience, opting to play streetball while taking care of his young daughter at home.
The film hits its stride in the connection between Stanley and Bo, on and off the court. They both love the game with a passio, and a bromance starts to bloom, not to mention Stanley betting his entire career on this unpredictable streetballer to pan out. Hernangómez and Sandler’s chemistry together is contagious.
It’s a familiar story, but Sandler rides it out with charisma and gritty flair. There’s a weariness to his work here that feels all-too-authentic, a sadness that creeps into his character with the kind of mileage only a veteran actor like him can bring out. He shows impeccable restraint here.
The film is directed by Jeremiah Zagar, who helmed the excellent Sundance indie “We the Animals.” Zagar makes sure not to convolute the plot, stripping what could have been a trope-filled endeavor of sports cliches into a minimalist underdog story. There is no unnecessary drama in “Hustle,” the film is grounded within a reality that you can believe in.
However, it’s Sandler who carries this small film on his shoulders. The actor is turning 56 this fall and one can only hope he continues to deliver these kind of dramatic turns, pushing himself, and his audience, to maturity. [B]
The source material, for the uninitiated, is Arrowhead Game Studios' co-op shooter — muscle in power armor defending "Super Earth" from bugs and robots in a war game.