Review: Uncut Gems
Uncut Gems, directed by Josh and Benny Safdie, tells the tale of Howard (Adam Sandler), a New York jeweler making bets with other people’s money and looking for the next big score. But when he stumbles across an uncut Ethiopian opal that catches the eye of NBA star Kevin Garnett (playing himself), Howard must do all he can to get the most bang for his buck out of that mineral while balancing out his commitment to his family and the aggressive loan sharks that hound him on every turn.
This is the latest film from the Safdie Brothers who also directed 2017’s Good Time, which was one of my favorite movies of that year. The film was intense, chaotic, and constantly kept you on edge for the entire run time. It was an absolute joy to watch and the Safdie’s latest outing continues to cement their unique style in Hollywood. Uncut Gems bites off a little more than it can chew at times, but like Good Time this was also a ton of fun to watch.
The biggest draw to this film for a lot of people is Adam Sandler in the lead role, and I can confidently say this was one of his best performances yet. People have given Sandler a lot of flack for consistently being in some of the worst films ever made each year, but people also forget that once upon a time Sandler can give out amazing performances with the right director. Movies like Punch-Drunk Love, The Meyerowitz Stories, and even The Wedding Singer showcases just how good Adam Sandler can be as an actor, and here he reminds people yet again he can actually give a good performance. In fact this was one of the best performances of the year in my opinion.
The main character is such a fascinating character and Sandler fits the role perfectly. He’s unlikable enough where you want to see him fail but at the same time you’re also low-key rooting for him in the end. The rest of the cast also gives a pretty great performance as well. Idina Menzel was great playing Howard’s wife, Lakieth Stanfield was good, even Kevin Garnett seems really invested in the film. The film’s score was great, the cinematography and direction captures the chaotic energy perfectly, and the editing was solid.
My only big gripe was that the first half of the film stalled pretty frequently. This film is longer than Good Time, clocking in at two hours and fourteen minutes, and you do feel the lengths especially in the middle act. There are several subplots that go nowhere making the film feel longer than it needed to be, but by the time the last half hour of the film kicks in I felt my patience was fully rewarded with one of the best endings to any movie this year.
Overall this was a blast to watch. The high octane, adrenaline filled energy makes this one of the most memorable films of the year for me. The Safdie Brothers are definitely directors I will keep a close eye on with every new project they come up with in the coming years. If this sounds like a film you might enjoy then please check it out once it hits wide in the coming weeks.
Final Verdict: 8/10