I have a feeling that Uncut Gems sparked something in Adam Sandler to pursue more legitimate roles. With Hustle, a drama/semi-comedy about a disgruntled basketball scout enlisting a street player, we have received the best Happy Madison produced film ever. This is all due to a breath of fresh air from Sandler’s normal shtick, while still gripping onto integral themes and morals.
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Hustle on Netflix may seem like a generic story based on its baseline structure, but what distinguishes it is how the film fleshes out the characters and the relationships they share. Stanley Sugerman (Adam Sandler) and Bo Cruz (Juancho Hernangomez) are two heavily conflicted players in their own internal arenas, and they develop in a way that demands for the characters to grow off of each other.
Adam Sandler gives a riveting performance, conveying droves of complex emotions and garnering sympathy from the audience. Since his roles in Punch Drunk Love and the aforementioned Uncut Gems, I have become enlightened on the talent Sandler is capable of displaying, and he puts it all out there in this movie. The same can also be said for Juancho Hernangomez, and the two actors share eminent chemistry with one another. As a comedy, this is one of the most effective Sandler-produced comedies to date through a more grounded approach to its humor.
There are thrilling sequences of basketball prowess supported by the athletic talent of the players on screen and hyper-motion handheld camera movements. When the film takes steadier avenues that focus on fleshing out the individual characters, static cinematography is employed with some gripping shot composition. The only things holding back Hustle come in the form of the portrayal of some characters and the accompanying dialogue they have to work with being quire on-the-nose.
Additionally, the conclusion to the film felt a bit disjointed. There were moments of jarring editing choices and an abrupt end to the film that took me off balance. Hustle is another impressive film for Sandler and co. to add to their repertoire. The commitment from the cast and crew is fully transparent as many creative decisions pay off in telling a transfixing narrative. Watch ‘Hustle’ on Netflix here.
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