I’m hearing Netflix will be pushing hard for an Adam Sandler Oscar nomination in the Lead Actor category.
A few weeks ago, “Hustle” was the first DVD screener to get sent out to voters and critics. I got it in the mail, although the film is also free to stream on Netflix.
Sandler’s performance is not quite a peak (“Uncut Gems” “Punch-Drunk Love”), but it’s probably the third best of his career. The movie itself is also quite entertaining.
On 06.13.22 I wrote that Adam Sandlers proves again that he’s actually a great actor. The film was #1 on Netflix for a few weeks and it’s not surprising the streamer is pushing it hard. The Best Actor category this year is fairly week and Sandler is probably in the top 10 conversation as we speak.
I currently have Fraser, Farrell, Butler, Nighy, Cruise, Sandler, Calva, Driver and Jackman battling it out for the five spots. Those are the main ones. Now you see why Sandler could potentially sneak in there.
“Hustle” is a feel-good sports drama take that doesn’t shortchange its audience. It’s a familiar story, scout befriends and helps rookie, 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.
The film is directed by Jeremiah Zagar, who helmed the excellent Sundance indie “We the Animals.”
Edward Berger seems to have settled on what comes next. His Lance Armstrong biopic, starring Austin Butler, is now holding casting calls, with production eyed for January.