Here are two shows that smartly blur the lines between fiction & reality. With Hustle, it’s more about how real life NBA players populate this film about a basketball scout. In the case of Irma Vep, it’s the film within a film conceit, and the social commentary we get to enjoy.

Hustle (Netflix USA) - Starring Adam Sandler and co-produced by Sandler and LeBron James’ Sugarhill Productions, this film about the travails of an NBA scout comes right on time, while the NBA Finals between the Celtics and the Warriors are going on. Portraying Philadelphia 76ers basketball scout Stanley Sugarman is Sandler, and the film deals with the life of being on countless flights all over the globe in search of the Next Big Thing player from foreign shores. In this fictitious film, that player comes in the form of Bo Cruz from Spain, who’s played by current NBA Utah Jazz backup forward Juanco Hernangomez. What should be a genuine treat for NBA fans is the inordinate number of ex- and current NBA players who have roles in the film, adding texture and realism to the enterprise - from Dr. J, Brad Stevens, Anthony Edwards, to name a few. 

As a sports story, there’s nothing really new being brought to the genre by this film. In fact, more often than not, it’s a paint-by-numbers storyline with nary a surprise tucked into the film. But what it has going for it is the genuine chemistry between Sandler and Gomez, in his first acting role. Queen Latifah plays the wife of Sugarman, and provides a true charm to the role, so it’s a shame she doesn’t get more screen time. That’s not a surprise though, as the film is more than capably carried by the the dynamic duo of Stan Sugarman and Bo Cruz. Playing the villain of the piece is the son of the deceased owner of the 76ers, who takes over the team and has a running feud with Sugarman (as played by Ben Foster). Good, entertaining film about how the past often catches up with you, and how one needs to rise above that to succeed. 

Irma Vep (HBO Go) - This Limited Series on HBO must be a dream project for most directors - to go back to a film that helped carve your niche and stature in the industry, and some 25 years later, reboot the film into a series and ‘play’ with it - this time with the luxury of budget, hindsight, and a fresh attack on the concept. French Director Olivier Assayas has all that in this retelling of Irma Vep, his 1996 film that starred Maggie Cheung, and was hailed as an introspective look at storytelling in cinema. With Alicia Vikander now playing the central role of Mira, the film deals with her coming off a big superhero film, Doomsday, and flying to Paris to work on her next project, a remake of a silent film, The Vampires. 

So the series will deal with life on the set, and what happens when you’ve packed it up for the day, and are waiting for the next day of shooting. And this being an Assayas project, one of the main characters is the director of the Vampires remake, a Rene Vidal - who’s standing in for Assayas himself. It’s smart dialogue, as we hear about the constant battle between Art and Commerce, and the problematic situation of the actors themselves, as they strive to be creative in an industry that thrives on constant reinvention. There are funny bits like confusing Ian McKellan with Michael Gambon, and thereby also confusing the Lord of the Rings film franchise with that of Harry Potter. The series is being released one episode per week, and it’s entertaining navel-gazing of the film industry.