UNCUT GEMS

Adam Sandler never stops moving. His character Howard is in constant, frantic motion- walking, talking, erratically texting on his phone. Even in one of the film’s final dramatic scenes he is only still for a beat and at that point his stillness seems unnatural and wrong. His desperate, panicked energy ultimately sets the tone for all of Uncut Gems. The film is a slow building, thrilling ride that follows Howard, a jeweler in New York’s diamond district who is trying to balance his professional and personal lives. He also has a gambling addiction and has never met a parlay he didn’t like. From the go there is an overbearing feeling of doom. You know something bad is just around the corner, and are never able to fully relax from that feeling, yet it’s exciting and keeps you wanting more. There’s a sense of anxiety that the film creates and right away you just want to know how things are going to play out. It is totally captivating and draws you in so you can’t look away. 

Adam Sandler gives a spectacular performance and is fascinating to watch. On paper his Howard is everything you should hate- too slick, a cheater, full of empty promises, running purely on ambition and barely surviving his own schemes. And yet you somehow root for him. I found myself wishing that I didn’t have this insight into his life- one that is steadily spiraling out of control- while at the same time being completely enthralled. His precarious balancing act will at any moment fall apart and you don’t know what will go first. His business? His failing marriage? The mistress living in his New York apartment? Anything can implode and you’re left waiting to see which will go first. It’s a fascinating portrayal of a man whose life is poised to take a very bad turn at any moment. And you know it will happen, because how can it not?

Uncut Gems is a bold, ambitious film. Josh and Benny Safdie have crafted an unsettling reality you are plunged into without reprieve for just over 2 hours. There are a few plot points that don’t get resolved and it does drag a bit in the middle but neither of those things really bothered me. The Safdies pull you into a world of chaos that is engrossing and entertaining. It seems like a slow burn and yet once you get to the end you realize that it’s been a full blaze from the beginning. 

FRANKLY: UNCUT GEMS WILL STRESS YOU OUT IN THE BEST WAY POSSIBLE BUT IS A MUST SEE FOR SANDLER’S PERFORMANCE ALONE. 4.5/5.