Uncut Gems
3.5/4
Starring: Adam Sandler, Julia Fox, LaKeith Stanfield, Kevin Garnett, Idina Menzel, Eric Bogosian
Rated R for Pervasive Strong Language, Violence, Some Sexual Content and Brief Drug Use
Howard Ratner lives on the edge. He's a "go go go" type of guy. He is an adrenaline junkie to the extreme. He needs to be energized. Gambling is his fix, but it's the sense of being juiced up that is his obsession. "Uncut Gems" tells the story of a few days in his life. It is not a necessarily pleasant experience, but it's intense.
Howard (Sandler) is a jeweler in New York City. He has just acquired a stone filled with rare black opals that he intends to sell for big money. But he's also a gambling addict, and his attempts to manipulate others and himself to get the big score push him to the brink of financial success or ruin. Exactly where he wants to be.
Watching "Uncut Gems" is like watching a magician trying to keep a dozen plates spinning at the same time. There is a potential to do it perfectly, but the threat of utter failure lies close. Howard is that magician. He has a lot of people he deals with and gambles with, but his complicated scheme relies on graft and risk and is always on the verge of crashing down. He is always having to think quickly and come up with new schemes and deals. It's impossible to keep track of who is who and how they fit in to the narrative (read: what Howard owes them or has placed a bet with). But that's okay. Howard can't remember either.
The idea that Adam Sandler, the poster boy for potty humor and bad taste in the 90s, would be cast in this role is at first glance laughable. That is until the movie starts. Once Sandler shows up on screen, the movie surges to 200% and it never slows down. The film's relentless, savage energy matches the volcanic, obsessive rush with which the lead character conducts himself. It's no exaggeration to say that "Uncut Gems" lives or dies based on Sandler's performance. He isn't just the star. He is the film itself. And Sandler is more than up to the task of playing this exhausting role. Make no mistake, "Uncut Gems" is definitely not a comedy. This is a tense dramatic thriller without a slightest hint of even the bleakest or blackest of humor. Sandler plays the role absolutely straight with none of his trademark immaturity. Other actors such as LaKeith Stanfield, Idina Menzel, the always creepy Eric Bogosian and others appear, but none can match Sandler's presence or energy. They exist in his orbit.
"Uncut Gems" is not a happy movie. Or a "entertainment" in a traditional sense. The tension that the Safdie brothers and Sandler create is coupled with a sense of desperation and madness. It's draining and at times it feels like it will let up. Even the more subdued moments have a sense of restlessness. At the same time, those qualities are what make this film so unforgettable. Even after the end credits rolled, that tension had not dissipated. Not many movies can do that. Especially ones with Adam Sandler as the star.
Starring: Adam Sandler, Julia Fox, LaKeith Stanfield, Kevin Garnett, Idina Menzel, Eric Bogosian
Rated R for Pervasive Strong Language, Violence, Some Sexual Content and Brief Drug Use
Howard Ratner lives on the edge. He's a "go go go" type of guy. He is an adrenaline junkie to the extreme. He needs to be energized. Gambling is his fix, but it's the sense of being juiced up that is his obsession. "Uncut Gems" tells the story of a few days in his life. It is not a necessarily pleasant experience, but it's intense.
Howard (Sandler) is a jeweler in New York City. He has just acquired a stone filled with rare black opals that he intends to sell for big money. But he's also a gambling addict, and his attempts to manipulate others and himself to get the big score push him to the brink of financial success or ruin. Exactly where he wants to be.
Watching "Uncut Gems" is like watching a magician trying to keep a dozen plates spinning at the same time. There is a potential to do it perfectly, but the threat of utter failure lies close. Howard is that magician. He has a lot of people he deals with and gambles with, but his complicated scheme relies on graft and risk and is always on the verge of crashing down. He is always having to think quickly and come up with new schemes and deals. It's impossible to keep track of who is who and how they fit in to the narrative (read: what Howard owes them or has placed a bet with). But that's okay. Howard can't remember either.
The idea that Adam Sandler, the poster boy for potty humor and bad taste in the 90s, would be cast in this role is at first glance laughable. That is until the movie starts. Once Sandler shows up on screen, the movie surges to 200% and it never slows down. The film's relentless, savage energy matches the volcanic, obsessive rush with which the lead character conducts himself. It's no exaggeration to say that "Uncut Gems" lives or dies based on Sandler's performance. He isn't just the star. He is the film itself. And Sandler is more than up to the task of playing this exhausting role. Make no mistake, "Uncut Gems" is definitely not a comedy. This is a tense dramatic thriller without a slightest hint of even the bleakest or blackest of humor. Sandler plays the role absolutely straight with none of his trademark immaturity. Other actors such as LaKeith Stanfield, Idina Menzel, the always creepy Eric Bogosian and others appear, but none can match Sandler's presence or energy. They exist in his orbit.
"Uncut Gems" is not a happy movie. Or a "entertainment" in a traditional sense. The tension that the Safdie brothers and Sandler create is coupled with a sense of desperation and madness. It's draining and at times it feels like it will let up. Even the more subdued moments have a sense of restlessness. At the same time, those qualities are what make this film so unforgettable. Even after the end credits rolled, that tension had not dissipated. Not many movies can do that. Especially ones with Adam Sandler as the star.
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