Adam Sandler has proven to be one of the best signings of Netflix. His films are usually very popular and are not particularly expensive either, which is why the platform did not hesitate to renew the contract that linked him with the protagonist of ‘Embriagado de amor’.
That yes, all the titles resulting from that agreement had had a more or less comic vocation, so it is quite a surprise that they now propose a sports film like ‘Garra’. In return, the release date is unbeatable, since it coincides with the NBA final between Warriors and Celtics, but even more important than that is that it is about a stimulating proposal for all those basketball lovers which becomes on its own merits one of the best Netflix movies of this 2022.
Simple but not simple
‘Claw’ tells the story of a talent scout (Sandler) who goes through a difficult time on a trip to Spain discovers a player he believes destined to succeed in the NBA. As expected, what seemed like a safe bet ends up not being so and he will have to do the impossible so that this personal bet does not end up being the end of his career.
I’m not normally a big fan of detailing the story a movie tells, but there are cases in which the outcome is the least important, and ‘Claw’ is one of those. Here from the beginning it is clear what the destination is and the important thing is something else. In this case, that its two protagonists have enough hook for their trip to interest us and also that this journey involves us and we simply want them to reach the obvious destination point.
Over the years we have seen several worthwhile titles on the sport, but I think basketball still has a lot to offer on the big screen. It is true that in the case at hand it will be seen mainly in streaming -before it did have a limited showing in theaters-, but its technical and visual finish makes it clear that it is above the usual in Netflix productions.
Key to this is the contribution of Jeremiah Zagar, filmmaker who seems to apply here everything he has learned in the world of documentaries to give ‘Garra’ an effective visual nerve. This is perceived above all when it focuses on the performance of Spanish Juancho Hernangomez on the track, but it also applies to the training phase, where the film makes you think of ‘Rocky’ at times, as in the rest of the situations.
The weapons of ‘Claw’
It is not that it is particularly dazzling at any time, but it does manage to find the immersive touch necessary to transcend the multitude of common places on which the script of Taylor Materne and Will Fetters. For there ‘Claw’ could have ended up condemned to be another sports drama, but it has more arguments to avoid them. One of the best is Sandler’s interpretation.
The actor has often resorted to the figure of the unlucky loser, but it was almost always to resort to that comic style that seduces some but repels others. Very recently we have his latest dramatic adventure in the wonderful ‘Diamonds in the Rough’ -a film that is on Netflix but is not on the platform, which I already see coming for saying that it is Sandler’s best feature film for this streaming company – Y here it demonstrates again how well it is handled in that code.
Right from the start it’s easy to connect with his concerns, but even more so when he decides to risk it all by being impressed by the talent of the character played by a solvent Hernangómez. Both when he goes separately and when he shares the scene with the Spanish player, Sandler nails the emotions that he has to show in order to transmit hope, fear, good humor and the feelings that ‘Claw’ is looking for at all times.
Also, Hernangómez’s presence is still the tip of the icebergbecause to bring the film closer to what the NBA dream entails, there are a multitude of cameos and small appearances that are not a mere whim, but rather contribute to the needs of the story, even when shamelessly resorting to highlight who appears on the screen, but in other cases who they really are is ignored.
In short
That said, I repeat, purely narratively, ‘Claw’ is a film with zero surprises and it could hardly be more predictable. But it is one thing to settle for bases that are already known to work as some do, and what happens here is another, that emotion is always sought as the main engine, always surrounding it with the best available ingredients to squeeze everything that it proposes around it. of the dream of becoming an NBA player.