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Review : Uncut Gems (2019)

Adam Sandler is an interesting actor, to say the least.  Most know him for his endless cavalcade of silly movies fueled by base-level humor and cameos from famous friends.  For those of us in the know, however, we have seen glimpses of his dramatic chops, where he is able to flip that humor into deep levels of emotional turmoil.  That being said, the second that I heard about Sandler connecting with the notorious Safdie brothers, the minds behind the amazing Good Time, I knew that Uncut Gems was a must see movie, at least as far as I was concerned. 

Jeweler and degenerate gambler Howard Ratner (Adam Sandler) finds himself involved in hustle after hustle in hopes of alleviating a debt owed to his brother in law Arno (Eric Bogosian).  With Arno’s muscle Phil (Keith Williams Richards) and Nico (Tommy Kominik) aggressively intimidating Howard at nearly every turn, Howard finds himself looking for any and all opportunities to clear his name.  By chance, Howard’s employee Demany (Lakeith Stanfield), who secures buyers for Howard’s jeweled out necklaces and watches, brings Kevin Garnett (himself) to Howard’s shop to check out jewelry, and during this visit, an extremely rare Ethiopian opal is delivered to the location.  In a fit of excitement, Howard shows the rare gem to Garnett, who becomes fascinated with it and asks to hold the gem overnight.  Reluctantly, Howard allows it in exchange for Garnett’s Boston Celtics championship ring as collateral, and on a hunch, Howard places a large parlay bet on Garnett for a playoff game that evening.  Caught between the needs of his wife Dinah (Idina Menzal) and his mistress Julia (Julia Fox), Howard attempts to stave off a divorce from Dinah while remaining involved with Julia.  Howard’s bet lands, but to his dismay, he learns that Arno cancelled the bet due to the fact that it was placed with his money.  With Garnett still in possession of the opal, which is scheduled to go into auction, Howard attempts to track down Demany and retrieve the opal in hopes that he will make the money owed during the auction.  As the walls start to close in on Howard, he once again tries to play the ends against the middle, with no idea of the scale of danger awaiting him.

Though it may not have been their intent, the Safdie brothers managed to create one of the most unique period films I’ve ever seen.  Although the events of the film are placed earlier in this decade, the way that time moves so fast in the Internet era makes it feel like much further in the past.  Using Kevin Garnett is a stroke of genius, as the man simply refuses to age, therefore allowing him to match with the actual game footage used during the film.  The odd period film nature is further driven home with the inclusion of songs like Kendrick Lamar’s Swimming Pools, the Furby-styled chain showcased early in the film, and the early stages of what we now recognize as modern day fashion and hairstyling, especially when it comes to characters like Demany and his entourage in the club.

The film is also a masterclass in tension building.  The elements that cause tension come from every angle : gambling, infidelity, violence, deception and confrontation dance around one another like dust in the wind, with the viewer given little to no time to calm down from one moment before another equally tense moment is presented.  The Safdie brothers even manage to introduce the tension that surrounds the gem’s origin by briefly beginning in Ethiopia and showing both the human costs and constant conflicts that come with the mining done in the region.  Sandler carries the viewer through his experience as a sad excuse for a protagonist who can’t seem to get out of his own way, leaving us feeling like we are flying by the seat of our pants just like his character is, causing us to feel scared (and subsequently feel relief) from event to event, and keep us on the edge of our seat until the conclusion of the film.

While much of the tension is courtesy of the acting and the narrative, the Safdie brothers do manage to use their camera in ways that create tension as well, with the camera moving like a passerby curious about potential craziness that may or may not pop off at any given moment.  The streak of amazing score work continues as well, with their use of synths, short stings and varied tones coming off like an edgy version of John Carpenter’s work.  The zooms into the gems, as well as the mirroring zooms into Sandler, are fascinating bits of special effects work for directors not necessarily known for using special effects.  The twists and turns of the narrative, as well as the natural ups and downs that come with the placed bets (even if basketball fans know the outcome of the games presented), are an emotional rollercoaster for the viewer, and last right up until the shocking and unexpected ending.  Much like Good Time, the Safdie brothers use New York as an uncredited character more so than a location, this time lingering mostly in the Diamond District and parts of the city rather than the signature seedy aesthetic that is generally tied to New York.  Jewish culture is presented with equal parts respect and jest, which preemptively helps to ease us into the world of the jewelers that make up much of the film’s population.

Adam Sandler completely steps outside of himself for this role, properly displaying all of the manic nature and hustler ethos of a man playing with fire and hoping he does not get burned before he hits big.  Julia Fox plays a bit of a singular role as the mistress, with her undying love for the Howard character standing in opposition to the resentment that Idina Menzal displays for the same character.  Eric Bogosian shows the sinister characteristics of a loan shark, but combines this with the familial concern of a brother, be it an in law or not, that keeps him from truly hurting Howard.  In contrast, Keith Williams Richards and Tommy Kominik play the heavies to a T, with their intimidating nature blasting off of the screen.  Lakeith Stanfield displays a similar hustling nature to Sandler, but to a lesser extent due to his character’s positional tier, although he does not allow himself to be pushed around.  Amazingly, Kevin Garnett manages to show dynamic range while playing himself, reeling in some of his unpolished upfrontness and allowing himself to show fascination, vulnerability and true sadness.  Guest appearances by Judd Hirsch, The Weeknd, Mike Francesca and a small cameo from John Amos round out the stellar cast.

Leave it to the Safdie brothers to wait until less than a week is left in 2019 to drop a strong contender for film of the year.  I was already a diehard fan of the brothers who preaches the word of Good Time every chance I get, and with Uncut Gems making an arrival to Netflix this January, I imagine that I will be championing this film just as much.