Adam Sandler is a vastly talented actor who is a victim of his own success, which generally keeps him working in a wan comedic mode with directors of little inspiration. The outstanding exception, to date, is his performance in Judd Apatow’s “Funny People,” which showed what happens when he works with directors who tap into the depth of his talent. I eagerly await seeing him in Noah Baumbach’s new film, “The Meyerowitz Stories,” which will première at Cannes next month. In the meantime, owing to Sandler’s ongoing production deal with Netflix, there’s “Sandy Wexler,” the latest feature that he has made for the company; it was released there last Friday, and I watched it so that you don’t have to. There’s no way to recommend it, yet I wouldn’t ask for my two hours back (though I do wish that they could have been sped up somewhat). “Sandy Wexler” is both an example of everything that’s wrong with what Sandler is doing under his own initiative and everything that’s right with Sandler’s artistry, which, despite the oppressive mediocrity of this new film, remains fascinating.

Source: The New Yorker