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Uncut Gems is a brilliant thriller about how capitalism is actually one big game of chance, where it is already known in advance that hardly anyone can win! "The house always wins" is the favorite rule of non GamStop casinos by gamblingpro.pro, that applies to the whole capitalist economic system. Even if you're not gambling but coveting to get more, you are practically gambling and you could lose everything in a blink! Adam Sandler plays his best role in years as the desperate jeweler Howard Ratner, who embarks on a massive crisis, yet always thinks he can handle the situation. As long as everything goes exactly as he planned it. But when does that actually work in life?
Ratner is not a small or poor boy as a fairly wealthy jeweler in New York. But he too is a plaything of greater financial forces, which do not give him a moment's rest. Every decision he makes brings him deeper and deeper into trouble. That makes him a typical Safdie protagonist. The Safdie brothers previously made Heaven Knows What and Good Time, among others, also films with main characters following that pattern. They hardly get the time and space to think properly and are almost always under enormous stress to turn the tide, which they are not really capable of.
That pressure makes the Safdie brothers in Uncut Gems (as in their earlier work) palpable with a nervous, exciting style. Darius Khondji's camera work is very close to the actors' skin. Not in a chaotic way, but with a combination of freehand images and balanced compositions, full of the expressive use of colour and (neon) lighting. Compositions maintain the overview amid the fierce editing of the Safdies, which determines the murderous pace of the film. Enhanced by the constantly busy, overlapping dialogues, the style provides nerve-wracking tension even more than the story.
That does not alter the fact that the story is built up to keep that tension always. Uncut Gemsis structured, as it were, like a basketball game. A continuous ebb and flow of emotions, stress and tension, which never ends except during the rest moment in the middle of the film, the dinner that serves as the intermission in the game. The match of life. The synth tones of Daniel Lopatin's music further increase the tension. From the first scene, they pulse straight into your bloodstream, to make your heart beat extra fast. Uncut Gems is finely crafted and carefully controlled chaos that grabs you by the throat and holds you for a long time.
More, More, & More!
The super energetic must-see Uncut Gems is a perfect example of a movie that shows just how addictive and devastating the hunger for more can be. Adam Sandler also plays the part of his life as jeweler Howard Ratner.It's certainly not the first time funny guy Adam Sandler has played a serious role, but we mainly know him from mediocre rom-coms and bland bites like Big Daddy , The Wedding Singer , Little Nicky and 50 First Dates . Sandler is actually a genre in itself. But with Uncut Gems, the American actor takes care of that image (and everyone who didn't take him seriously) in one merciless blow.
Sandler plays New York jeweler Howard Ratner in Uncut Gems. A trader with rich, famous and criminal clients (and creditors) who is always looking for ways to rake in more money. When he manages to get his hands on a unique uncut diamond, his pension seems to be permanently secured. But no: the 'hustler' pledges, borrows and gambles and gets into bigger trouble than he already had. In the meantime, children and mistress also beg for attention and wife wants a divorce. Pfff...
Catch Your Breath
Because of the intense way in which directors Benny and Josh Safdie follow their main character, you also get quite stuffy as a viewer. The pace is high, the tension is constantly palpable, the problems just keep piling up and the screaming and swearing level doesn't lie either. Uncut Gems is a workout that will make you gasp, bite off all your nails and make you long for a silent retreat afterwards.Why No Oscar?
Oddly enough, you keep wanting more and don't want that fascinating ride to end. And that's mainly because of the astonishing way Sandler portrays his character. Ratner is a jerk, a bad husband, absent father and a literal loser, but he also has a childlike enthusiasm that makes him soft, sympathetic and funny. Sometimes you hope Ratner can score, no matter how crazy his plans are, but most of the time you give him the peace of an early retirement. Why Sandler didn't receive an Oscar nomination for his brilliant portrayal is beyond me.More Than a Repetitive Story
But hey, Sandler laughs the loudest (as always), because Uncut Gems is receiving a lot of praise worldwide and the actor his well-deserved recognition. Much admiration also for the Safdie brothers, who return strongly after their strong film debut Heaven Knows What and the astonishing Good Time. Their follow-up once again contains a high dose of energy, rawness, tasty characters (including The Weeknd and basketball player Kevin Garnett) and dynamic images of New York streets. And yet Uncut Gems has a feel all its own; the film is more than a repetitive trick with a shiny new look.Conclusion
Uncut Gems can be seen on Netflix and is an absolute must for lovers of energetic crime films. Or should I just say it? A brilliant diamond- Uncut Gems (2019)
- Drama, Crime, Thriller
- Duration: 2h, 15min
- Directed by: Benny Safie, Josh Safdie
- Cast: Adam Sandler, LaKeith Stanfield, Julia Fox, Idina Menzel and more
