Written by Andreas Babiolakis

I adore basketball. It is the only sport I am absolutely obsessed with. However, I won’t let it shroud how I feel about the latest Happy Madison film Hustle, as I prefer to be as unbiased as possible. Having said that, I am pleased to see Adam Sandler’s production company finally churning out something worthwhile. We’re used to the occasional time where Sandler puts out a strong performance, but knowing that Happy Madison produced Hustle means that they actually can give us good material. I hope this keeps happening. Meanwhile, let’s get back to Hustle, which continues Sandler’s on-screen love of the sport of basketball (and he can hoop rather well, too). He’s not gambling his entire family’s fortunes and lives away (well, not nearly as bad here). This time Sandler plays Stanley Sugerman: a scout of international talent that was promised a position on the staff as an assistant coach (which is vetoed by the new owner of his team: the Philadelphia 76ers). In order to get back onto the court as an assistant coach, Sugerman has to find a proper player to draft that can be the “missing piece” for the team. He quickly finds Bo Cruz over in Spain who is rough around the edges but can ball out. This is the secret weapon Sugerman needs.

Hustle bullets through its plot a little too quickly, which leaves me constantly reminded that I’m watching a sports drama rather than being enraptured by what should feel like real life (especially with the purposefully shaky and raw camera work which tell a different story). Even though Hustle promises something different with its more intense take on the genre, this is a sports film through and through, and it ticks off all of the boxes in one of film’s most predictable and cookie cutter genres. There are even montages, and boy are there many of them (including obvious shout outs to Rocky, which I can excuse, given the Philadelphia connection). I can ignore the amount of genre service because Hustle still tries to tell its story authentically, so these very montages that should make me feel sick leave me somewhat inspired and even touched; Sugerman is genuinely thrilled when Cruz improves and succeeds. This is an on-the-nose film, yes, but it’s actually told by people who care about the genre, not those who care about how well the genre sells.

What this conventionality tells me is that Adam Sandler really is brilliant when he wants to be. When others would be Hallmark-worthy in such a role, Sandler feels like an actual person. He has this ability to really drill into your soul on command. He’s also a curious package to unpack, like that neighbour whose life you’ve seen evolve for many years, and you wonder what they’re all about and what makes them tick. He is surrounded by a couple of veterans (Ben Foster, who is always criminally underrated, Queen Latifah, and even Robert Duvall in a brief performance) and a ton of NBA names that range from current ballers (Anthony Edwards, Tobias Harris, Trey Young, et cetera) to stars of yesteryear (Julius Irving, Kenny Smith), executives, and analysts. I’ve said before that athletes really don’t make the best actors, but no one here is truly awful (outside of a couple of wooden moments all around, but I’m willing to turn a blind eye). Then there’s lead star Juancho Hernangómez who was clearly picked not for being the biggest NBA name but as one of the finer actors that could have fit this role. I won’t say this was a performance for the ages, but I have seen athletes be much worse than Hernangómez here, who embraces his character’s unrefined qualities and deep heart.

On that note, something that I appreciated during Hustle is how convincing the bad plays, improvement, and compelling moments are. It’s actually incredibly tough for an athlete to under perform, or to be at their very best at the right times, especially for all of this to be believable. Hustle never feels rehearsed during its game moments, which is when the film matters the most. There’s also the most crucial portion of any game, and that’s how it ends. Hustle ends rather abruptly, with a nice twist that gives you something to chew on for after the film; it isn’t quite enough to make the film feel like it concludes nicely, unfortunately. It shouldn’t deter you from everything that came before, which may be safe and typical, but it’s all told with spirit. If you love sports films, then Hustle is a must. If you hate them, I don’t think this film will change your mind on the genre. If you’re on the fence, parts of Hustle will have you fixated on the wrong side of the sports film genre, whilst other moments will have you cheering and emotional. Hustle is harmless to try, and you may feel more affected than you anticipated once it’s done.

Andreas Babiolakis has a Masters degree in Film and Photography Preservation and Collections Management from Toronto Metropolitan University, as well as a Bachelors degree in Cinema Studies from York University. His favourite times of year are the Criterion Collection flash sales and the annual Toronto International Film Festival.