Uncut Gems

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.

Intense 2 hrs !! It's loud and shouty and really in your face , gives you a rollercoaster of a ride from start to finish .

Adam Sandler is superb just brilliant, never knew he could be this way and he really became the person !!

It's a great film that never gives you a minute. No real sympathy for any of the characters but you do believe in them all !

A film to watch , just be prepared.

All reviews here are correct. The good ones and the bad ones. This movie is a mess and you can like it or hate. My wife hated it, I liked it very much.

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.

The pacing here is impressive. I felt like I was running through this entire movie and felt similarly about Good Time, another effort by the Safdie brothers. I still followed the story, though, and I think making a story more or less easy to follow is a hard line for writers to walk. Uncut Gems is frantic but coherent, and it walks this line perfectly.

It follows a really sleazy jeweler, masterfully played by Adam Sandler, as he upsets other people. I was shocked that Sandler was capable of this. I really couldn't take my eyes off of him.

The camera work, lighting, music, and other elements all work in service of the frantic plot. This is the most anxious thriller I've ever seen; in one word, it is FAST.