Diamantes en bruto

The first five minutes of Uncut Gems are bewildering and disruptive; it feels like you re thrown into the middle of something, can't quite hear what is going on, and feel the pressure of whatever situation we have just found ourselves. It continues from there with an intensity that is relentless. It does not make for an easy film, but it makes for an engaging one. It totally sells the sense of addiction and relentlessness of gambling - the highs it offers through the thrill of the chase and the elation of the win, but also the lows of the many downsides and loses.

In doing this, it is a terrific film if you are looking to feel a sense of oppression and anxiety, because this is what it does best. It has a comparatively long running time, but it feels shorter because of how consistently relentless it is. Within this Sandler is the beating heart, convincing in every aspect of his character. It is a tough watch though, because it is very much one-note in its content and message - so it does depend on how much you enjoy that sense of falling self-destruction combined with joy - I really liked it for how well it did it, even if it does feel enclosing and tough. The way it allows Howard his highs and his lows helps; it is not some terrible cautionary tale - we get to see what his life gives him and how he chases (and occasionally gets) the thrill of the big win.

The whole production sets and matches the tone of the film as a whole. There is glamour in the locations, but they also feel tired and forced; the jewellery shop in particular gets this right - it is full of hugely expensive items and has celebrities in it, but yet it has that annoying buzzer, cheap furniture, no windows, and a smell of desperation around it. It probably as a whole isn't a film I'd say I really enjoyed, but as an experience it was engrossing and convincing in its highs and lows, with all aspects of the delivery perfectly in synch to make it work.

Wow, what a ride. This wasn't the unbearable anxiety-fest that some are claiming, but it sure does invoke a lot of uneasiness throughout. The Safdie Brothers take you on a mesmerizing journey in the life of a gambling-addicted man in the Diamond District. Hopefully this puts to bed the idea that Adam Sandler isn't a good actor. He displays his incredible versatility and gives the performance of his career. I really loved the synth score used throughout and it greatly heightens the intensity at key moments. Uncut Gems is a shocking and stressful tour de force that is worthy of the praise heaped upon it.

Personally, I find the more a film affects my feelings and emotions, the better(no matter the emotion). From Tobe Hooper's "Texas Chainsaw Massacre", to "Free Solo", or even "August Osage County"; films aren't simply bad because they make you uncomfortable. One could argue; the more uncomfortable, the more effective. This is the case with Josh and Benny Safdie's "Uncut Gems".

Adam Sandler's comedies are hit and miss for me. Some are genuinely funny, some are not, but "Uncut Gems" just edged-out P. T. Anderson's "Punch Drunk Love" as my favorite film from this seemingly unrecognized serious actor. The Academy's omission of any nomination (especially for Sandler) is inexcusable. The film currently parks-itself behind "Parasite" as the second best film I have seen from 2019(36 films through an 84-film watchlist).

Sandler plays Howard Ratner, a Jewish Jewell Dealer mired in a world of debt, gambling, gangsters, and real-life Superstars. The casting is exceptional! Every single character makes the film more believable, and it needs them, because the world that Howard Ratner lives-in is so chaotic, that it may have plausibly crumbled-to-pieces without them. Sandler pulls-off the monumental task of creating audience empathy, for a character who is morally bankrupt. We want this guy to find his way out of this relentless hurricane.

The film never lets-off the gas. One might criticize the monotony and predictability of it all, if it weren't for some interesting family and gambling dynamics thrown into the mix. The film seems to be literally dropped into the climax of Ratner's life. There is so much that led to this crescendo, but still, the film manages to completely flesh-out it's characters. By the time it's all over, the viewer feels like they've been pulverized into diamond ash.

The ending is thought-provoking enough to make you ask questions, and the artistic value is nearly flawless. This is as uncomfortable as I've been watching a film in many years, and for that reason alone, it is a success.

9/10 for me.

You Might Like this if you liked: Pi, Charlie Countryman, Mississippi Grind, Sorcerer, or Leaving Las Vegas.

Breaking out with 2017 effort Good Time, directing duo Benny and Josh Safdie quickly became one of the most talked about up and coming filmmaking prospects in Hollywood, with their Robert Pattinson starring thriller showcasing a knack the brothers had for crafting a frenetic thriller filled with abundant energy and visuals, that if refined further, could create something truly special.

Fast forward to the now and that promise has indeed come to fruition with Uncut Gems, one of the most insanely tense and energetic offerings to come our way in the last few years, as the brothers employment of the perhaps never better Adam Sandler as Jewish New York based jeweler Howard Ratner takes us on a unique and inspired ride through the Big Apple's diamond district, in what is an unpredictable and gripping affair that is deserving of the hype it has generated.

It's hard to put into words just how sweat inducing and hold your breath like Uncut Gems is to the uninitiated, as scenes such as Ratner yelling at a basketball game or fixing a broken automatic door don't sound like the staples of thrilling movie viewing but under the guidance of the Safdie brothers and delivered by Sandler, these such scenarios all combine to ensure that this dialogue heavy offering refuses to let us catch a break across its two hour plus runtime.

Built around some brilliantly realised sound design, often creating the feeling that we are listen to two or three conversations at once but never confused as to what we are hearing, some breakneck editing courtesy of Ronald Bronstein and Benny Safdie, in your face cinematography by famed D.O.P Darius Khondji and one of the previous year's best musical scores by Daniel Lopatin, Uncut Gems is the full package that has been conjured up by the clear and singular vision of its talented creators.

All this magic behind the scenes would've mattered for little had the Safdie siblings not been able to get the right people involved to enact out their vision in front of the camera but alongside side players like Lakeith Stanfield, Idina Menzel, NBA legend Kevin Garnett (playing himself!) newcomer Julia Fox, the Safdie brothers struck gold when they secured Sandler as Howard, a role it feels as though he was born to play.

Ratner is one of the most fascinating cinematic creations of recent memories, a not very likable self-serving businessman who is at all times placing himself first above all others including friends, family and mistress, he feels both entirely different to the persona Sandler has developed over decades in Hollywood but also one that perfectly suits his loud-mouth and quick talking repertoire, that see's the often misunderstood and lazy comedian/actor finally stretching his ability to what has now become universally praised results.

In almost every scene of this expletive-laden exercise, Sandler is utterly convincing throughout the Safdie brothers exercise, managing in the process too get us to root for Howard as his life threatens to de-rail around building financial debts and the recent possession of a potentially magical rock filled with Ethiopian gems.

It's unlikely we will ever see Sandler again find a role that fits him so perfectly, with it a shame the Academy Award members overlooked his impressive turn in the Best Acting category at the 2020 Oscars, a field he well and truly deserved to be a part of.

Final Say -

While there's certain plot developments and occurrences that might not stand up to intense scrutiny, Uncut Gems is a undeniable energy rush of a feature film, that is both a thrilling exercise in extended tension building and a stunning showcase for the rarely seen ability of Sandler, who has never been better than he is here.

4 ½ Furby necklaces out of 5

Some folks wrote that this movie was a mix-up of Marty Scorcese and Abel Ferrarra style and I think that's right. And Adam Sandler speaks, looks like, borrows every expression on the face from Al Pacino. I Don't know if the audiences have also noticed this but that's so obvious. Anyway, that's the kind of role, character that would have perfectly fit to Robert De Niro's co star in HEAT and the IRISHMAN. I like this uncut gem very much.