Sandy Wexler – Overview/ Review (with Spoilers)

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As comedians get older, usually they retreat into the dramatic fields and start exploring what else is out there for them. Yet, for Adam Sandler, thanks to a multi-movie Netflix deal, it seems he feels validated in sticking to his old ways and not making any changes to his formula. Hence, Sandy Wexler.

Characters & Storyline

For years Sandy Wexler (Adam Sandler) has tried to do best by his clients. Granted, most of the time it was through lying to them about opportunities he had or didn’t, but it was because he wanted them to feel good about themselves and to bolster the talent he saw in them. However, there was always this rule about not crossing the line with them. But upon meeting Courtney Clarke (Jennifer Hudson), a beautiful songstress, it becomes hard for Sandy to keep to his rules and acknowledge he can only take his clients but so far.

Highlights

A Sea of Stars

From Chris Rock to Weird Al, Jay Leno and Quincy Jones, there are so many famous people included in this film to help bolster the claim of Sandy Wexler was someone noteworthy that you almost want to believe he isn’t the putz we see him as.

The Songs Jennifer Hudson Sings

But perhaps the true highlight, of the entire movie, is that the songs Jennifer Hudson sings, which are written by Babyface, who is also in the movie, are jams. Not perhaps the kind which could be a hit in the modern era but back in 1994, when the movie takes place, you can fully imagine them being top 10 hits. “Mr. DJ” especially.

Criticism

It Doesn’t Make the 2 Hour Time Length Worth It

There is absolutely nothing funny about this movie at all. Even the famous comedians who make fun of Sandy, they don’t get a joke in that is funny. What you will get is Adam Sandler, with some forced eccentric quirks, beating them into the ground as if they are quality running gags. Though what really shoots this movie in the foot is that it is 2 hours long. Imagine sitting in what is supposed to be a comedy for two hours and barely laughing.

Then, on top of that, it isn’t like Sandler’s movie Spanglish where, even if it isn’t funny, Sandler is showing that, like a lot of old school comedians, he at least can put some kind of dramatic performance on. No, Sandler rather keep pulling a “This would have been funny in the 90s” type of performance than either switching up his act or really exploring the character past what he thinks audiences may find funny about them.

I mean, just for some examples, we never learn anything about Sandy’s family so it would have been cool to learn if maybe they died, were distant, and that is what pushes him to treat his clients like family. Then when it comes to living in some Israeli guy’s house, it would have been nice to develop how he got that opportunity which, from what it seemed, allowed him to have barely successful acts for years.

But no. There isn’t really any character development here. Sandy just picks weird clients, Courtney is perhaps the first one he discovers with the possibility to go mainstream, and he sticks with her until he realizes she is going way past what he is used to handling. Leaving us with a man longing for an old client who keeps coming in and out of his life. Thus turning a really sorry excuse for a comedy into the least romantic, and very much forced, romance movie you may ever watch.

Overall: Negative (Skip It)

I usually dodge Adam Sandler movies since, at this point, it honestly seems he makes movies still because he enjoys doing so. It has little to nothing to do with the viewer necessarily liking them because the movie gives Sandler the chance to see his friends, hang out and laugh, and get paid to do so. Which, with the Netflix deal, now he really doesn’t have to worry since, as shown by the Amy Schumer special, having something terrible on Netflix can still be considered a hit because people will watch it just to see how bad it is. Especially since they don’t have to pay for that one specific movie.

Hence the Negative label for really, outside of the two or three songs Jennifer Hudson sings, and perhaps the parade of stars you get a few seconds, or minutes, to see, this film has no significant redeemable qualities. It isn’t funny, it doesn’t really explore Wexler’s life and not make him out to be more than some sad caricature, and it really pushes the idea that Sandler is stuck in his ways. To the point that with Netflix giving Sandler a multi-picture deal, it is like they validated every terrible story and character he has come up with over the last few years and asked for more. Leading you to wonder how Ted Sarandos, Chief Content Officer of Netflix, and a producer on this film, can be the same guy who greenlit the majority of what made Netflix what it is today.