Hustle

Directed by Jeremiah Zagar, written by Will Fetters and Taylor Materne is this nuts and bolts sorts movie. Adam Sandler is Stanley Sugerman a scout for the Philadelphia 76ers, who is great at his job, but wants more, a place on the coaching team. When club owner Rex Merrick (Robert Duvall) gives him the chance he’s ecstatic. However when Merrick suddenly passes away and is replaced by his egotistical son Vince (Ben Foster), Stanley quickly finds himself back in the road. When he finds himself on a wasted trip to Spain, he wanders of to a local basketball court he finds a unique talent, Bo Cruz ( Juancho Hernangomez) hustling on the courts. Stanley is desperate to get him to the US and find this generational talent a place in the NBA. But he has a lot to overcome, including his old boss and Bo’s attitude and lack of belief, can he be built into a basketball star?

If the plot sounds familiar, you’d be right, this is almost every other underdog sports film you’ve ever seen. Sandler’s Sugerman is full of doubt and has his own history to deal with. Cruz, has a past and his own concerns about his ability and doubts he’ll make it. But the two together help each other grow. If you sat down at the start and plotted this out, you’d pretty much ball it. Think the later Rockys and swap boxing for basketball, heck it’s even set in Philadelphia!

Not that this makes it a bad film, it’s got a good heart and in Sugerman and Cruz two characters to pull for and Vince a bad guy who deserves his comeuppance. Queen Latifah is solid as ever as Sugermans wife as is Anthony Edwards as Cruz’s on court nemesis, Kermit Wilts. The non acting cast are also more than passable.

The two main performers are what make this work with a good on screen chemistry. Sandler’s character feels like one he’s played for laughs, but he delivers it well with the comedy removed and Hernangomez is likeable and vulnerable.

Hustle hits all the sports movie beats you expect. But with Sandler and Hernangomez’s likeable screen presence you are invested and want them to succeed. While it won’t change your world, it’s an enjoyable way to spend a couple of hours.