Garra

Turns out Adam Sandler can actually do movies that aren't comedies. Shocking, I know. After a down-on-his-luck basketball scout discovers an extraordinary player abroad, he brings the phenom back without his team's approval.

In this sports-drama produced by Adam Sandler alongside LeBron James, a touching story is told perfectly with magnificent performances from both Sandler himself and actual NBA star Juancho Hernangomez. From the moment Stanley (Adam Sandler) meets Bo (Juancho Hernangomez) and his family, you can immediately see how they click and just how strong the chemistry is between them. The story is filled with with unexpected plot twists, keeping the audience attached during the whole 2 hours run-time that pass very smoothly. Although this movie is not labeled as a comedy, you still get to laugh a lot throughout it. Well, of course. It is Adam Sandler after all!

Unexpectedly, this movie instills a burst of emotions in the audience while conveying important life lessons. The music, for me, really helps the movie flourish, as it is honestly staggering and suits the mood that the director is trying to provide perfectly.

Finally, considering the fact that this movie is loaded with famous NBA players, NBA fans would definitely enjoy it. However, because the plot and production are phenomenal, anyone would enjoy this movie.

Score:8.5/10.

Once again it's no surprise that Adam shines in another more serious role. When people constantly seem to be shocked at his range I tell them to go back and watch reign over me. He's always had this versatility. That's not to say his signature brand of comedy isn't implemented in this solid film. The story is rather straightforward an interesting as it also shows his passion for the game of basketball that he's always had in reality as well. Overall another solid entry into his recent renaissance. Wasn't too fond of certain moments or the casting of Latifah as his wife but I can look that over.

Adam Sandlers love letter to basketball and honestly it was kind of beautiful. The story had a good mix of truth and fiction and the cast a good mix of actors and bball legends. The characters had chemistry and brought authenticity to the sentiment of this story.

But if you are, then you'll love this Adam Sandler and LeBron James production. It's a great and touching story, told perfectly, with outstanding performances and chemistry by Sandler and actual NBA star Juancho Hernangomez. You'll also see a bunch of other NBA players and celebrities. The directing is excellent, as is the cinematography. The almost 2 hour runtime flew by with the great pacing. This film is certainly one of the better sport-dramas I've seen, if not the best. I promise you you'll laugh and you will cry. This is a re-watch at least one more time for sure. A well deserved 9/10 from me.

"I love this game. I live this game." Stanley Sugerman (Adam Sandler)

Hustle is a commanding Netflix original that nudges the formulaic "Hoop Dreams" out of its comfort zone into an entertaining drama that emphasizes ambition, brotherly love (set in Philadelphia after all), and familial support, traits that could apply to any underdog struggling against immense forces.

Stanley Sugerman is a has-been scout for the '76ers who discovers a Madrid street champion, Bo Cruz (Juancho Hernangomez), and promotes him in the states for the NBA, eventually using his own funds to bring him over. Although the usual cliches like a cocky antagonist Kermit Wilts (Minnesota Timberwolves teammate Anthony Edwards) and a dismissive owner Vince Merrick (Ben Foster) are there, Sandler, eschewing his usual over-the-top comic shtick, gives warmth and sincerity (he loves basketball anyway) to make the challenges believable and him a hero.

Just look at the sweet meet between Stanley's family and Bo's to see how deftly director Jeremiah Zugar (from South Philly) swings from a saccharine take to a modest, loving union of people who understand the unifying nature of Bo and Stanley's ambition. After seeing Sandler in his tour de force Uncut Gems (Also Netflix), I am a Sandler fan who believes Sandler has moved almost instantaneously from comic to dramatic (well, maybe that fast if you consider his performance in Punch Drunk Love).

If you're young an unimpressed with my praise, perhaps these ingredients will help you to tune it in: Multiple cameos of other NBA stars, LeBron James a producer, and gritty, electric streetball games; the use of social media to get the attention of indifferent NBA bigwigs. For me, seeing Sandler as a warm and flawed human being play beside an equally affecting Hernangomez, is worth a warm evening enjoying, as we all did with the similarly-based Rocky, seeing humans striving to be more than they are.