Adam Sandler is right up there with the best comedians.They're undeniably comedic masterminds of this era.Happy Gilmore actorpossesses both the experience and the standing to back it up. Granted, many of them are daft, aiming for that surprising but anticipated comedic payoff. Consequently, there's this impression that theGrown UpsHe's often pigeonholed as just a funny man, but that's simply not the case. George Clooney, it appears, shares my view.
If you think Sandler is just a funny man, I dare you to re-examine his whole filmography. Every performance, even in his comedic parts, hints at the...Big Daddy An actor is capable of exploring greater depths, something he's demonstrated numerous times, most recently in the forthcoming Noah Baumbach film.Jay Kelly.
In the upcoming Netflix film, Sandler is in George Clooney's corner.Jay Kelly, a veteran film actor, journeys through Europe, discovering the true nature of celebrity and achievement. During filming, the pair developed a strong bond, and Clooney mentioned...Vanity Fairjust how highly he regards Sandler's output, stating:
This movie, more so than any other Adam's been in, really highlights just how talented, genuine, and emotionally resonant he is as an actor. I kept saying to the rest of the cast, "Lay off calling him 'Sand Man'. Don't treat him like he's just some daft comedian. He's a genuinely brilliant, fantastic actor." Because he gets paid so much for making big, silly comedies, these other, more serious, 'Uncut Gems' type of roles remind people of his range. He's not just a funny man.
The two first met decades ago when Clooney hosted SNL...and they've been mates ever since. In some respects, both roles seem tailor-made for them.Ocean's Eleven actor mirrors the main character Jay Kelly to a T, while Sandler plays Kelly’s manager, who holds unconditional loyalty and love for his longtime client and friend. In my opinion, Sandler’s best movies are in the romance genre (50 First Dates is my favorite), so he knows how to sell love extremely well.
I do find it ironic, though, that Uncut Gems is the movie Clooney uses as an example to showcase the Billy Madison actor’s versatility. Uncut Gemsis usually the film people bring up when they're discussing theSNL alum’s foray into more serious roles. The A24 film, a suspenseful and highly praised piece about a gambling addict with a penchant for high stakes, demonstrated his capacity to embody a character far removed from his usual charming persona – one significantly less agreeable.
That movie came out in 2019, though, and Sandler, to Clooney’s point, has been a versatile actor for much longer than six years. I raise you one Punch Drunk Love, the Paul Thomas Anderson film that really was Sandler’s feature debut in a dramatic role, and if you haven’t seen it, I highly suggest you check it out.
In this film, Sandler plays a kind, lonely man looking for love, a task challenged by occasional angry outbursts. While this may seem like the plot to another somewhat goofy Sandler rom-com, there’s an element of suspense added when his character, Barry Egan, gets a call from an extortionist.
For a lot of people, this was likely the first time watching the Waterboy actor sans all the slapstick jokes, and after seeing Punch Drunk Love, there is no one else better to play that role. Previous Sandler collaborator and Spaceman director Johan Renck said that it's almost better when typically comedic actors excel in dramatic roles, because the audience is even more moved when they see a sort of rare vulnerability from the actor. And that's exactly what Sandler did in this movie, and his other dramatic films.
I tend to find that every Sandler role has heart, whether it’s comedic or not, but I definitely see Renck’s point. Needless to say, as an Adam Sandler fan, I always love seeing him reach outside his comfort zone. So I can’t wait until his team-up with Clooney when Jay Kelly hits the 2025 movie schedule on December 5.
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