Hustle
★ ★★ ½
If you are in any way a sports fan, and especially an NBA fan, Hustle is a must-watch. Even if you aren't a basketball fan, there is plenty to enjoy about this film. Like other sports movies, Hustle uses basketball as a vessel to tell about the struggle of the underdog. Everyone sees themself in this role in some way or another, so an immediate connection is formed. Hustle isn't necessarily the best sports movie I've ever seen, but it is sure a lot of fun.
The basketball geek in me loved seeing all the all-stars, legends and amazing gameplay. Like a great basketball game, the movie has a tremendous flow. This is mainly due to Adam Sandler's performance. Sandler has a knack for playing the everyman character, although in real life he has the clout to make movies in luxurious locations or in this case, interact with sports superstars. He does a great job of being the motivator and also the one who is struggling to survive.
Even though this movie is supposed to give you a behind-the-scenes look at the NBA, there are a lot of discrepancies in the journey. But this isn't a story that needs to be wrapped in realism because it's so easy to give into the heart of the story. Hustle is a movie that I have found myself recommending to a lot of my friends because I enjoyed the exuberance of everybody involved in its execution.
