Hustle

Hustle does a great job of pointing out how much solid work goes into crafting a professional sports team, just by focusing primarily on one gifted scout (Adam Sandler as Stanley Sugarman) who runs into problems when the owner's son takes over (Ben Foster as Vince Merrick). 

It's like a 24/7 job it's rare he ever stops concentrating on basketball, he consistently sacrifices so much for the team without much complaint or sharp contradiction.

He has an amazing job and gets to spend his time doing something he loves, and can concretely see his emphatic results each time a player he's chosen makes a cool play.

I saw him like a representative for what generally goes on behind the scenes in professional sports, for the tens of thousands of people diligently working to put a dynamic team together.

Even when that team isn't playing well the wheels are still in perpetual motion, making deals and calls and observations hopefully leading to that next championship.

When you think about how many thousands of people are habitually competing to build the next champion, it does seem like the odds against anyone ever winning are so astronomically high that victory's miraculous.

And then if you see your outstanding favourites lose the Super Bowl three times in your curious youth, and then come back to pick up back to back wins less than ten years later, with the same quarterback, you can't help but be thankful to the organization.

If you do actually win the championship it objectively validates every decision made that season, you can take a break and sit back and bask in heralded pseudo-divine contemplation.

Each step of the way not just the winner it's still better to get there than not make it at all, it's like every organization is fighting for each inch of ground at all times and never even considering coming up short.

At least that's what characters like Stanley make me think with their healthy attitudes that keep things focused, with some jobs you have to continuously adapt at any given time with inquisitive reflexes.

That was amazing when the Raptors won I never thought I'd see that happen.

I was pissed Dad didn't get to see the Leafs win again before he passed.

But honestly, he loved basketball so much more.

I'm so happy he got to see that.

Hustle's worth checking out.

Uncle Drew

A legendary street side basketball tournament known as the Rucker Classic drives feisty shoesalesperson/coach Dax (Lil Rel Howery/Ashton Tyler) to envisage heartfelt impressions.

Yet after obnoxious rival Mookie (Nick Kroll) steals his best player, and then his partner, after she throws him out, wayward Dax must embrace paths followed unbidden.

But as despair begins to weaken his profound resilient temper, a potent force from decades past, still in possession of incomparable skill, suddenly appears ready to contend, if and only if he can reassemble his once duty-bound team.

A member of which remains aggrieved.

Begrudged impassioned youth.

Underscored divisively.

Charles Stone III's Uncle Drew innocently celebrates teamwork to strengthen multigenerational resolve.

Logic is magically reconceptualized within, to artistically metamorphisize concrete athletic biology.

At times it struggles.

Some vegetarian sandwiches need two to three times as much cheese, and even if do-gooding boldly asserts Uncle Drew's regenerative harmonies, it still undeniably serves up a thick multilayered footlong.

Chomp Chomp.

Friendships briefly reestablished to redeem themselves for having missed rare highly prized opportunities illuminate the backcourt.

Enchanting implausibility fuelling huggable lighthearted mysteries acrobatically sashay unconfused.

A healthy examination of sport and the ways in which it can positively impact one's community sharply attunes deeply connected obligation.

And a contemplative disputatious sad yet determined Kevin Hart/Eeyore hybrid enlivens the game with perplexed in/credulous jamméd excitability.

Rewards for versatility redefining alternative options strewn.

A bit o' basketball worked in.

With some loving romance too.

Transported from the bleachers to centre stage primetime, Uncle Drew innocently tenderizes as it renovates old school.

Not the most hard-hitting film, but not a shout out to the dark side either, it boldly cuts down sith with blunt octogenarian sabres, while shedding a little light, on respectful collective views.

Super chill.

Semi-Pro

Semi-Pro. The title's even mediocre and obvious. Sometimes this style of comedy works for me, notably Dodgeball, Zoolander, and Old School, but Semi-Pro is everything these comedic standouts are not, almost every joke and situation falling flat, even the scene where Jackie Moon (Will Ferrell) wrestles a bear.

The fundamental sporting comedy plot devices are in place, literally and structurally: a number of small town guys get together as a team and from that team find purpose and meaning for their lives; at the same time, a core group of sort-of-funny comedic actors who can be easily identified (Tim Meadows, Will Arnett, Rob Corddry, Matt Walsh) provide a familiar presence that brings with it some warm and friendly charm, as they fire an unloaded gun at one another while referring to the horrible realities underlying their past and present relationships. But the form needs content, and the content in this film is definitely semi-pro. It’s just awful, nothing works, there's no unity, no feeling, as if they shot the entire film in two weeks, partying hard throughout, but not the good kind of partying, the kind that produced albums like Sticky Fingers and Exile on Main St., the bad kind, the kind that produced It's Only Rock and Roll and Emotional Rescue. Perhaps the most touching moment comes when Woody Harrelson (Monix) teaches Jackie to puke. Yes, I was seriously reminded why its best to steer clear from this genre, from time to time, especially when the film in question doesn't have much of an advertising campaign, and wish I'd seen The Counterfeiters or Up the Yantgze instead. But I was in the mood for brain numbing comedy, of the funny I'm 15 again variety, funny brain numbing comedy, not the stupid and not funny kind, that kind.

The way in which the film proceeds is troubled as well: all of the details describing how Jackie Moon obtained his fortune are mentioned during the opening credits. The audience wants to see these details unfold during the film, quickly, at the beginning, like in Blades of Glory or The Life Aquatic. Also, you need a prominent human villain in the script. This script's villain (Woody Harrelson) was part of the basketball team and ends up being everyone's friend. Unfortunately, this 'spin-move' didn't work and should only be employed if your film also has a strong villain. (The collapse of the league can be seen as a villain as well, but this villain certainly didn't utter any zippy one-liners).

Oh yes, the film is about a struggling B-league basketball team trying to finish in 4th place so that their franchise can be one of four that is permitted to merge with the NBA.

I did like the allegory within one scene however: the American Basketball Association is trying to merge with the NBA so they want to keep a clean image. However, the players want to brawl in every game. Hence, in order to make sure their image remains clean, they save their brawling for commercial breaks, allegorically highlighting the underlying dimension of the prim and proper finished product (a successful presentation delivered by the CEO, a family managing to hide their craziness from one of their children's love interests, . . . ).