With his debts mounting and angry collectors closing in, a fast-talking New York City jeweler risks everything in hope of staying afloat and alive.With his debts mounting and angry collectors closing in, a fast-talking New York City jeweler risks everything in hope of staying afloat and alive.With his debts mounting and angry collectors closing in, a fast-talking New York City jeweler risks everything in hope of staying afloat and alive.
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Sandlers character is a grating ego-centric ahole mostly throughout. Got on my nerves, like a lot of the film. Long run-time for a slim plot, didn't have the stylistic flourish to justify it but just about held me to the end due to Sandler's great performance and occasionally engaging script. The pay off was not rewarding enough...disappointed after reading pro reviews (not just IMDB). Very "meh" about this.
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.
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
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
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.
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.
I'm gonna be honest, I'm not the biggest Adam Sandler fan. I purposely ignored this movie because I was expecting it to be another bad Sandler film. But upon taking a glance at some of the 2019 year end movie top 10's for some movies to watch, this movie kept showing up on the lists. So finally I caved and sat down to watch it.
And let me just say... DAMN! Wow! Just wow. That was INTENSE! I could actually feel the sweat form on my forehead towards the end of it because I was so nervous. This movie left me a mess. It was great! The directing, the plot, and the CHARACTERS were fantastic. The directing was done pretty well, but there were a few inebriating shots in the first half and throughout, but it's still directed well. The plot was very intriguing. At first I didn't think I'd care, but towards the end I was biting my nails because I was so into the film. I haven't felt so tense throughout an entire film in such a while, and I left feeling like a trainwreck. When a movie can do that, you've succeeded.
I need to give Sandler alot of the credit. I believe it's his best performance acting wise and one of the greatest of the year. Him playing this dark gritty and charismatic gambler was thrilling. I truly believe Sandler should take on more dramatic roles like this, because he was phenomenal. In fact, now thinking back on it, Sandler was so underlooked during the award season. He ABSOLUTELY should've been nomianted for an Oscar. In fact, this movie should've been nominated for Best Picture. This movie is so underrated and I REGRET not watching it earlier.
Look, I'll be willing to watch more of Adam's movies if he takes on more of these roles. This movie and his performance were fantastic!
I'd highly recommended this movie. It's a thrill ride. In fact, I'm surprised at the amount of low ratings in these reviews. It was great!
7.8/10 Might change it to an 8.
And let me just say... DAMN! Wow! Just wow. That was INTENSE! I could actually feel the sweat form on my forehead towards the end of it because I was so nervous. This movie left me a mess. It was great! The directing, the plot, and the CHARACTERS were fantastic. The directing was done pretty well, but there were a few inebriating shots in the first half and throughout, but it's still directed well. The plot was very intriguing. At first I didn't think I'd care, but towards the end I was biting my nails because I was so into the film. I haven't felt so tense throughout an entire film in such a while, and I left feeling like a trainwreck. When a movie can do that, you've succeeded.
I need to give Sandler alot of the credit. I believe it's his best performance acting wise and one of the greatest of the year. Him playing this dark gritty and charismatic gambler was thrilling. I truly believe Sandler should take on more dramatic roles like this, because he was phenomenal. In fact, now thinking back on it, Sandler was so underlooked during the award season. He ABSOLUTELY should've been nomianted for an Oscar. In fact, this movie should've been nominated for Best Picture. This movie is so underrated and I REGRET not watching it earlier.
Look, I'll be willing to watch more of Adam's movies if he takes on more of these roles. This movie and his performance were fantastic!
I'd highly recommended this movie. It's a thrill ride. In fact, I'm surprised at the amount of low ratings in these reviews. It was great!
7.8/10 Might change it to an 8.
