Movie Man Darian Watching All Night Long

Hustle 

This is one of the most heartwarming and feel good films I’ve seen this year! Now I said in 2019 I wanted to see Adam Sandler showcase his dramatic muscles as he’s proven a few times now that he’s well capable of tapping into it. So to see him in once again another dramatic emotionally driven performance was very fun to watch. This film has at times the trappings of a typical sports film but it comes at it from a fresh perspective with such heart that will have you cheering by the third act of the film. 

Firstly, This film is gripping from start to finish. As right when it starts you are thrust into this overworked sports scouts lifestyle and how he is constantly looking for fresh talent. The film delves face first into the anxiety and stress of this man’s life as fun as it is the film presents what lengths he will go for talent and also the Emotional and mental strain it puts on him. As the film isn’t a thought provoking film by any means but it’s also not your typical sports film either  it delves deep into themes of family, passion and putting your all into what you want and it’s shown in very real and authentic ways that will have you emotionally invested into each character and frame of this film. As Sandler’s character does not really talk about himself and will put his reputation and career into representing this player who many at first doubt will even be good in talent. The sheer emotional weight that is shown through the film is amazing as you see the way Adam Sandler’s character helps bring this amazing athlete and the sheer raw talent he has and channel it into such a incredible way. As Sandler’s character in the beginning of the film is very defeated in his search to find that athlete that will take the world by storm and once he finds him he puts his blood sweat and tears into making him the greatest and showing the world what he can do. The evolution of both men emotionally shown over the course of this film is so well done and you are constantly engaged by the story if it’s the solid performances at hand or the truly inspiring story that is unfolding in front of you. The themes and sheer depth this film goes to is incredible as it is definitely one of the best sports films I’ve seen in quite some time that also not only delivers with the amazing sports sequences but also shows amazing layers for its characters which you’ll be cheering for the whole way through. 

Secondly, the raw performances from both its lead actors is amazing! Adam Sandler delivers a powerhouse performance that is some of the best work of his career adding another incredible strong performance. In the last couple of years Sandler had been delving into more serious territory in terms of roles and with his work work Ben Stiller in the Netflix film he did a couple years back and then Uncut Gems and now this I’m really loving that he’s wanting to explore a more dramatic element of his acting abilities. Here he gives once again another strong performance as a sports scout who goes through emotional hell to showcase this athlete who no one believes in and prove to everyone he’s truly something special. It’s a tender and raw performance from Adam Sandler that will touch your heart and truly blow you away. Then you have Juancho Hernangomez who has never acted before giving his debut as an actor in this film and damn is he amazing in this picture. He gives one hell of a breakout performance as someone who’s never been given his shot to show his skill to the world he brings that anxiety and sheer drive of wanting it badly enough that he’ll do what it takes to show others he is a force on the court. It’s presented in a performance that is build upon incredible charismatic energy and gut wrenching emotion that feels so authentic. Both actors also have amazing onscreen chemistry resulting in electric moments throughout the film and don’t get me wrong everyone is amazing in this film but it’s the sheer tender performance from Sandler and the emotionally gutting performance by Hernangomez that will amaze you. 

Lastly, Hustle delivers on all fronts from its engaging story to the sheer brilliant performances at hand. This avoides the pitfalls of most sports films and instead gives the audience something new to an exhausted genre. It explores the world of scouting talent in such a honest way and believing in someone’s amazing gift even when everyone  else doubts you it gives a fantastic message to walk away with. It’ll have you wrapped up into the characters and in a puddle of tears by the end in a victory that dose not feel cheesy but well earned  Hustle is beautifully performed and incredibly told in a gripping sports film that is one of the best of its genre I’ve seen in quite some time. This is one of the best films I’ve seen all year with two captivating performances from its leads I recommend everyone go check this film out. 

This film centres around a basketball scout who looks for fresh new talent and when he finds an amazing player from a rough neighborhood he puts his reputation and career on the line to show the world how talented he is. 

Rated R : language 

Adam Sandler : Sandler delivers another truly astonishing dramatic turn in this film! I said back in 2019 after what I still think is his career best work in Uncut Gems that he should do more dramatic driven roles as he truly excels in it. I was so glad when I saw that he was again doing another heavy focused film with great dramatic tones to it that would once again show his strong dramatic abilities. Now what he delivers in this is nothing short of excellent as he takes on the task of playing this very driven basketball scout that will do whatever it takes to find fresh talent and after the death of his mentor he feels he really needs to prove that he’s got what it takes to find the next big thing. As he finds a kid who may not be socially accepted he knows he has heart and grit and can see he can apply himself because he wants it bad enough and the sheer emotional execution he brings to the screen is beautiful. As you can see the anxiety build up more and more in him as the story progresses and he dose not let the player he’s coaching see it or his family his heart bleeds in silence and Sandler spews every line with such burning passion and genuine emotion you will get so engaged into his performance it may just bring you to tears. As Sandler knows he has a strained relationship with his daughter because he’s been away for so long so he tries his best to be their for her when he is not on the road and then also be husband to his supportive wife all the while not cracking under the pressure of loosing his reputation he’s spent years building. Adam Sandler delivers what is easily one of his best performances if Uncut Gems is the crowning jewel performance of his career his work in Hustle is a close second. As what he brings to this film is staggering. You can see the sheer dedication he has to his work and even after no one believes he will get anywhere with this athlete he grinds and grinds at it until he makes a spark of magic. The sheer depths he goes with this character is amazing he still gives us that sandman wit we know and love but it’s the sheer dramatic element of his performance that blew me away. He doesn’t hold anything back sure theirs the jokes as I mentioned but he never lets it override the serious nature of the character and what the film is trying to say for 99% of the film it’s all dramatic theirs very few places of comedy and   He dazzles the screen with his raw amazing delivery  of this character. His heart is bleeding but does it to show the world that he isn’t a failure in what is Adam Sandler’s most tender performance of his entire career he’s truly outstanding in Hustle. 

Juancho Hernangomez : Juancho delivers one of the most raw performances I have seen all year! This guy is not an actor he is an athlete and for him to have zero acting experience to go toe to toe with Adam Sandler one of the most well known comedians working today is no easy feat. He not only was able to hold his own against Sandman but delivers a hell of a performance that had me in tears as what he gives to the screen is truly moving. He is shown at first schooling this guy on a basketball court and you can see from the crowds and the reactions he was getting from them that he was truly engaging to watch as a basketball player not just the showman aspect but he is a truly astonishing player that dominates the court. When Sandler sees this you can see the joy that washes over his face that he has found that child prodigy he has been looking for to showcase to the world. Now at first glance he yes is a great player but he has never been trained to play basketball the way the NBA does it and Sandler makes him harness those ways of playing ball that the NBA will eat up when watching but also contribute that razor sharp agility that he uses that makes him such a great player. The sheer arc this guy goes on is amazing to watch unfold over the course of the film. He goes from this guy who has no idea how the NBA works and the hell and scrutiny he would face and he does not crack under the pressure. Their are times when he is faced with a lot of hardships he has to try to overcome and some are harder than others. For instance he isn’t able to see his family because he’s training and their back home so you can see him going back to his hotel room every night alone and that silence and lack of support and love from his family does eventually start affecting how he is on the court as he has never been away from them that long and the way he channels that emptiness and longing for his family was heartbreaking. Then you have the head games the players throw at him too and the media who put him through the ringer and that’s a whole other beast he has to take on because he has to train his mind and sharpen it to not let a insult or mean comment throw him off his game as they do attempt to get in his head to make him choke under the pressure and their are times when he is very close to that. He even outright screams in a players face and slams his fist right next to his head as all the stress had been eating him up for so long his heart could only take so much but even after that small burst of anger he learns to channel his emotions so that he’s as solid as a iceberg both mentally and psychically. All of that he goes through Juancho brings to such amazing life with raw emotional truth that can be felt through every frame of his performance. He brings this childlike wonder and curiosity to the role that makes him so likeable but he also is a very sensitive person and especially towards his family that tough personality he showcases on the court is pulley a character he has build. As off the court he is a very emotionally driven personality that plays this close to the chest and the way Juancho Hernagomez showcases that onscreen is truly brilliant he is able to explore all these emotional places of the character in such a engaging way that will have you in total awe of his performance his work in this film I hope dose not go unnoticed as yes Adam Sandler is amazing in this film but Juancho is brilliant also and delivers a knockout performance that will move you. 

Jeremiah Zagar : This guy needs to make more movies! This filmmaker has zero experience making narrative films as he is a documentarian up until now. the fact he has never done a narrative piece film and this film Hustle is his first dabble into it is astonishing to me. He pours his heart and soul into this movie with such solid direction. he avoids the pitfalls of most sports movies of a lot of overused tropes and sure their is the underdog narrative he uses but that’s like 99% of sports films. So besides the underdog narrative that can seem familiar to some everything else he brings to the frame of this picture is unlike anything I have seen from any sports drama. He goes into the detail of scouting, the details of the NBA and everything in between from scouting to getting the players a solid reputation and even media branding building it really goes in depth to all of that and for some the could seem boring but it is done in such a engaging way through the amazing story at hand its ability to pace the story perfecting and incredible editing. This film makes you feel like your on the court in Bo’s head and the POV perspective you get during the basketball scenes was amazing and felt very immersive and as great as the basketball scenes are he never trades in style for substance the off the court scenes the more dramatic heavy moments are just as engaging as the sports moments and both are levelled out greatly due to the great acting from its cast and the fantastic depth he gave the characters really fleshing them out and getting the audience to invest into them. Overall Jeremiah Zagar directed the hell out of this movie with one of the most gripping sports films I have seen in years on top of truly great performances he got from his cast and a story he captured beautifully that Will have the audience cheering all the way through this man needs to direct more movies what he did with Hustle is truly amazing work and I cannot wait to see what he does next.