The plot: In 1990’s Los Angeles, talent manager Sandy Wexler
(Adam Sandler) is struggling to get his clients off the ground. However, his
luck is set to change once he happens upon Courtney Clarke (Jennifer Hudson),
an incredibly talented singer. He signs Courtney as one of his clients, and
before too long, it seems like Sandy has found the talent that could take him
to the top. But as her star rises, and others seek to get her for themselves,
Sandy’s will to do what’s best for his clients is going to be tested.
Sandler’s doing the goofy voice again. It takes a long-ass
time to get used to hearing, which weirdly justifies why this film goes over a
two-hour running time, but honestly… I don’t hate it. It’s rather grating but
Sandler plays the character like he actually gives a damn, and even the laughs
don’t always land, the more dramatic moments do. Maybe it’s because he’s
accompanied by Hudson for most of the film, whose soulful voice and warm
delivery helps to balance things out. The Happy Madison regulars are here as
well, from Kevin James as a surprisingly entertaining ventriloquist to Nick
Swardson as an unlucky daredevil to Rob Schneider as an Israeli billionaire… I
promise that this sounds more annoying than it actually is; their performances
are a lot more grounded than their usual fare, similar to Sandler, and they
work for the same reason.
Terry Crews makes for a welcome addition as Sandy’s wrestler
client, and Arsenio Hall makes a rather inexplicable but still workable role as
himself. And he’s not the only one doing so. Sandler must have tapped every
single connection he has because the celebrity cameos here are staggering, both
in size and their eventual impact. Big winner in that regard, though, goes to a
certain comedic legend who is identified as Sandy’s first-ever client. Seeing
an artist of his stature give some of the most poignant advice of the entire
film, especially when it’s directed at someone played by Adam Sandler, is truly
incredible to witness. No spoilers though because, believe it or not, this is
worth seeing for one’s self.
The character of Sandy Wexler is based on Adam Sandler’s
real-life manager Sandy Wernick. How much of Wernick’s actual personality is
visible on-screen remains to be seen, given the Happy Madison formula for
characterization, but that one fact gives this film something that Sandler’s
filmography has been missing for several years: Evidence that he gives a damn.
The character has a series of traits, from how he keeps changing his statements
in reaction to what other people are saying to him to his unhinged amount of
enthusiasm for his clients, but the film never feels like we’re meant to hate
the guy. We’re supposed to be aware of his flaws, but also the heart behind
them as well. As we see Sandy claw his way into show business, representing
performers who exist on the outskirts of the industry, we see someone who wants
to help people make it in that business. Managers and talent agents mean a lot to this brand of creatives,
something that any stand-up comedian will tell you, and as trite as it is to
write, it really is all about who you know. And Sandy wants to make sure that
his clients know the right people.
Now, with all that said, don’t think that this is that
massive of a departure for Sandler. We’re still dealing with the Happy Madison
running-gags-into-the-ground style of comedy, and holy hell, can this film get
irritating. Part of it is due to Sandler’s delivery taking time to get used to
(and I definitely get that some people likely just won’t ever get used to it) but it’s also down to the actual jokes being
said. We get a lot of winking-to-the-audience references of the time, creating
knowing humour out of Sandy not getting the eventual relevance of things like
emails and grunge music and Pixar, but it’s just too cute to really sink in.
There’s also the regular helping of blatant product placement, which even with
a story set in Los Angeles doesn’t really make things any less awkward.
It’s
all just so annoying that it feels like the writers (one of whom is Sandler
himself) are too stuck in the company standard to really take off. The more
emotional moments involving Sandy and how badly he takes certain clients
leaving his employ are well-handled, even if they tread on familiar territory,
but the jokes rarely if ever land properly. Whatever jokes can be gotten out of
Sandy’s mannerisms, you’ll likely get sick of them by the fifth or sixth time
that they get reiterated. To say nothing of how much darker it gets during the
third act, where we get to such delightful imagery as a clown hanging himself
and the ventriloquist using a man in the middle of a heart attack as one of his
puppets to get through a business meeting.
And yet, even with all that said, there’s something about
this I can’t find much hate in my heart for. Maybe it’s because Sandler is
finally getting it into his head that the usual loathsome jerks that he’s been
playing for so long have outstayed their welcome, going for a character with
actual likeability to him. Maybe it’s because the character being based on
someone he knows well means that whatever self-aggrandizing that goes on feels
more like loving tribute rather than the usual ego-stroking. Maybe it’s because
it echoes The Disaster Artist in how it highlights artistic ineptitude, but
also artistic vision and drive with the same pen.
Or maybe it’s because,
between all of this, we have a story that is worth watching and, while a bit
too long to maintain its full impact, feels like it has a point in its existence
beyond its own sake. Over the last decade (and possibly even further back than
that), Sandler has existed in this holding pattern where he’s either being in
slapshod stories about heinous people or he’s making films just so that he can
write off an overseas vacation as a business expense. With this, neither of
those hold true and as someone who still has a lot of fondness for the man’s
earlier filmography, I really, really
hope that this isn’t a flash in the pan and that this side of Sandler is going
to stick around for a bit. I mean, Happy Madison still has one more Netflix release in their contract; after this, I have at least some hope that it’ll turn out
alright.
All in all, this film is going to get one of two reactions
from most audiences: It’s either more of the same crap that Adam Sandler has
been peddling for quite some time, or it’s a refreshing reprieve from that same
crap. Me personally, I fall into the latter. While a lot of the jokes don’t
make that good of an impact and Sandler’s performance has its growing pains,
but between the rest of the frankly astounding cast and the feeling that
Sandler is connecting back to his roots as a comedian, this at the very least
feels like a good precursor for things to come. Hell, beyond what may come after,
it is immensely satisfying to see this guy play a character that feels like an
actual human being for a change, not just a walking plague of heinocity. Adam
Sandler has rediscovered what empathy is; I think that’s cause enough for some
congratulations.
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