Film Review – Hustle

Adam Sandler wants his own “Rocky,” and he achieves that goal in many ways with “Hustle.” It’s a basketball underdog story that returns the actor to a more dramatic role, building on his career-best work in “Uncut Gems” with another take on obsession, this time involving talent scouting for the NBA and all the difficulties of the position. There’s a defined feel-good quality to the effort, but director Jeremiah Zagar (“We the Animals”) and screenwriters Will Fetters and Taylor Materne actively work to introduce some emotionality to the endeavor, focusing on the characters and their growing frustrations and fears. “Hustle” has defined energy and an almost overwhelming love for basketball, and while it gets sugary on occasion, the picture remains as real as possible for this type of entertainment, also presenting Sandler with another chance to showcase his newfound command of seriocomic performances, making his moments count in the feature. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com