Hustle Review
Adam Sandler has long been a basketball superfan, so it’s a little surprising that passion has only recently started to bleed into his movies. The terrific Uncut Gems saw the Sandman play a jeweller who places one crazy bet after another on the semi-finals round of the NBA playoffs while trying to reclaim an expensive gem from real-life NBA star Kevin Garnett. And there are even more basketball bonafides in the much less stressful Hustle, which is still enjoyable, despite its formulaic storytelling.
Indeed, all the standard sports drama tropes are dutifully checked off in Taylor Materne and Will Fetters’ screenplay — from multiple training montages to speeches about pushing through adversity. But Hustle’s stylistic flourishes add some welcome spice to the recipe. Dan Deacon’s electronic score is creative and suitably rousing at various points, and whether it’s on the streets or in indoor arenas, the crisp camerawork and smart editing captures basketball in all its beauty. Director Jeremiah Zagar ensures that the love of the game and its culture is evident throughout, with cameos from Philly legends Julius ‘Dr. J’ Erving and Allen Iverson lending the film authenticity.
Sandler switches between levity and more emotionally weighty material with ease.
Much of this would be moot if Sandler was as unengaged as he has sometimes can be, but he switches between levity and more emotionally weighty material with ease here, as a man desperately trying not to add to his list of regrets. He’s ably supported by NBA star Hernangómez, who is unsurprisingly great on the court while also nailing Cruz’s naive vulnerability when the focus switches from basketball to family. Together, they’re a partnership who are easy to root for.
There’s so much working in Hustle’s favour that it’s a bit of a shame the film decides to go a more predictable, crowd-pleasing route at almost every turn, especially in a final act that momentarily teases something a little more subversive. It means the end result doesn’t quite belong in the upper echelon of sports movies with the likes of Creed and Love & Basketball, but NBA fans in particular will be satisfied with the heart and talent on display. When it comes to the Sandman and basketball, he’s a perfect 2-of-2 from the field.
Hustle follows a familiar game plan but executes it well, with a love of basketball culture shining through — alongside a likeable Sandler performance.
Related Articles
Adam Sandler's A Basketball Scout In The Trailer For Hustle
Movies |
Related News & Content
-
Watch: Spice Girls reunite to perform ‘Stop’ dance at Victoria Beckham’s 50th birthday party
Watch: Spice Girls reunite to perform 'Stop' dance at Victoria Beckham's 50th birthday party,On Saturday (April 20), the British girl band Spice Girls reunited at London's members-only club Oswald's to commemorate Victoria Beckham's 50th birthday. The party was attended by Victoria's celebrity friends, including Eva Longoria and Tom Cruise. Tags: BreezyScroll breezyscroll.com Entertainment Spice Girls UK World -
i-STAT TBI cartridge: New rapid blood test for concussions gets FDA approval
i-STAT TBI cartridge: New rapid blood test for concussions gets FDA approval,A new quick blood test that may detect brain ailments such as concussions in minutes has cleared a crucial obstacle on its way to widespread adoption in the United States. Tags: Blood test BreezyScroll breezyscroll.com Health i STAT TBI cartridge The US World -
Qatari official says Israeli operation in Rafah would prevent hostage deal
Qatari official says Israeli operation in Rafah would prevent hostage deal,The Official's Statement Came After Netanyahu Pledged That 'We'll Go Into Rafah and Destroy the Hamas Battalions There, With a Deal or Without One.' This Is the Second Time in a Week That a Qatari Official Has Criticized Israel for Sabotaging Cease-fire Negotiations Tags: 2023 Israel Gaza War Benjamin Netanyahu haaretz.com IDF Israel News Qatar -
Nancy Gonzalez: Celebrity handbag designer sentenced for smuggling crocodile handbags in the US
Nancy Gonzalez: Celebrity handbag designer sentenced for smuggling crocodile handbags in the US,A prominent fashion designer whose accessories were worn by celebrities ranging from Britney Spears to the cast of the TV series "Sex and the City" has been sentenced to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty to smuggling crocodile handbags from her native Colombia. Nancy Gonzalez was arrested in Cali, Colombia, in 2022 and later extradited to the United States. Tags: BreezyScroll breezyscroll.com Entertainment lifestyle Nancy Gonzalez -
Scott Disick to stop using Ozempic following public concern over dramatic transformation
Scott Disick to stop using Ozempic following public concern over dramatic transformation,Scott Disick has finally turned to the experts, seeking help with his Ozempic use and stunning change, which has raised fan concerns. Tags: BreezyScroll breezyscroll.com Entertainment Health Ozempic Scott Disick -
Brandeis to accept transfer of students feeling unsafe on campus amid anti-Israel protests
Brandeis to accept transfer of students feeling unsafe on campus amid anti-Israel protests,In November, the Traditionally Jewish Boston School Became the First to Ban Its Chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine, Saying That the Group 'Openly Supports Hamas' Tags: 2023 Israel Gaza War anti Israel haaretz.com Israel U.S. Jews in America U.S. News -
What is auto-brewery syndrome? Man whose body makes its own alcohol cleared of drunk driving in Belgium
What is auto-brewery syndrome? Man whose body makes its own alcohol cleared of drunk driving in Belgium,A Belgian court acquitted a man in a drink-driving case on Monday after his lawyer described how a rare metabolic disease caused his client's body to produce alcohol. The 40-year-old man's case was dropped when he proved to the court that he suffers from a condition called auto-brewery syndrome. Tags: auto brewery syndrome BreezyScroll breezyscroll.com Europe Health World -
Kanye West a suspect in battery case after man allegedly ‘assaulted’ his wife, Bianca Censori
Kanye West a suspect in battery case after man allegedly 'assaulted' his wife, Bianca Censori,Kanye West has been named as a suspect in a battery case in Los Angeles after allegedly hitting a man who grabbed his wife, Bianca Censori, according to reports. Tags: BreezyScroll breezyscroll.com Entertainment Kanye West World -
Columbia issues ultimatum to Gaza protesters: Disperse or face suspension
Columbia issues ultimatum to Gaza protesters: Disperse or face suspension,Protest Leaders Are Demanding That Columbia Divest From Companies With Ties to Israel, Disclose Investments, End Its Partnership With Tel Aviv University and Grant Amnesty to Those Who Faced Disciplinary Action Over Protests. President Shafik: 'We Are Consulting With a Broader Group in Our Community to Explore Internal Options to End This Crisis' Tags: 2023 Israel Gaza War anti Israel haaretz.com Israel U.S. Jews in America U.S. News -
Carol Kirkwood stuns in figure-hugging dress amid BBC Breakfast technical chaos
Carol Kirkwood stuns in figure-hugging dress amid BBC Breakfast technical chaos,CAROL Kirkwood stunned in a figure-hugging dress amid a technical blunder. BBC Breakfast was flung into chaos this morning after a string of sound issues. However Carol, 61, was all smiles as she p… Tags: BBC BBC Breakfast BBC ONE Carol Kirkwood mirror.co.uk The Scottish Sun TV News TV UK daytime TV -
Families ‘to sue prison’ where loud inmates ‘terrorise kids’ with screaming
Families 'to sue prison' where loud inmates 'terrorise kids' with screaming,Residents living next door to a new prison who say their kids have to sleep wearing headphones and some leave during weekends due to the racket are threatening to sue the prison service Tags: mirror.co.uk Neighbours from hell prisons Scottish government The Mirror -
Doctor Strange’s Secret Wars Role May Be More Important Than You Thought – Looper
Doctor Strange's Secret Wars Role May Be More Important Than You Thought - Looper,According to entertainment leaker Alex Perez, Doctor Strange will find himself confronting his inner struggles as he headlines "Avengers: Secret Wars." Tags: Fiction Looper looper.com Marvel Cinematic Universe Science Star Wars The Universal Monsters franchise -
Choctaw artist Jeffrey Gibson confronts history at US pavilion as its first solo Indigenous artist
Choctaw artist Jeffrey Gibson confronts history at US pavilion as its first solo Indigenous artist,Jeffrey Gibson’s takeover of the U.S. pavilion for this year’s Venice Biennale contemporary art show is a celebration of color, pattern and craft Tags: 109377793 abcnews.go.com Article Entertainment General news Indigenous people Keycat Keytags Race and ethnicity U.S. News visual arts World news -
Mexican film wins top prize at Moscow International Film Festival while major studios boycott Russia
Mexican film wins top prize at Moscow International Film Festival while major studios boycott Russia,A Mexican film has won the top prize at the Moscow International Film Festival which took place as major Western studios boycott the Russian market and as Russia’s war in Ukraine grinds into its third year Tags: 109702159 abcnews.go.com Article Entertainment Fairs and festivals General news Keycat Keytags Movies Russia Ukraine war World news -
Sandra Oh reenacts funny ‘Princess Diaries’ scene for Anne Hathaway
Sandra Oh reenacts funny ‘Princess Diaries’ scene for Anne Hathaway,Sandra Oh re-created a beloved scene from "The Princess Diaries" to announce Anne Hathaway's recent appearance on "The Kelly Clarkson Show." Tags: Movies popculture today TODAY.com -
Bestselling author Emily Henry shares her latest book recommendations
Bestselling author Emily Henry shares her latest book recommendations,What is Emily Henry reading right now? She shares book recommendations. Tags: books popculture today TODAY.com -
WWE’s Trick Williams Hilariously Kicks Off Whoop That Era at NXT Spring Breakin’
WWE's Trick Williams Hilariously Kicks Off Whoop That Era at NXT Spring Breakin',The new WWE NXT Champion Trick Williams kicks off the Whoop That Era and delivers a delightful exchange with Lash Legend Tags: comicbook.com NXT Wrestling Spring Breakin Trick Williams WWE WWE 2K Wwe 2k24 -
Information on the Total Number of Voting Rights (Denominator) following Conversion Notice from Atlas
Information on the Total Number of Voting Rights (Denominator) following Conversion Notice from Atlas,Regulated Information - Denominator Atlas Special Opportunities, LLC has converted 4 convertible bonds in Oxurion resulting in a EUR 100,000 capital... Tags: Brussels Stock ExchangeOXUR GlobeNewswire News Room globenewswire.com Oxurion NV
Warning: file_get_contents(https://www.scienceradars.com/wp-output-content.php?pg=1&cat=&kw=&lvl=): Failed to open stream: HTTP request failed! HTTP/1.1 526 in /home/wwwroot/xuenou.com/wp-content/themes/chromenews/template-parts/content.php on line 169
Warning: file_get_contents(https://www.bayuexiang.com/wp-output-content.php?pg=1&cat=&kw=&lvl=): Failed to open stream: HTTP request failed! HTTP/1.1 526 in /home/wwwroot/xuenou.com/wp-content/themes/chromenews/template-parts/content.php on line 173
TrendRadars
The Most Interesting Articles, Mysteries and Discoveries