Logan Sork Film Reviews
Uncut Gems
It’s rare to find a film that will keep you on the edge of your seat for nearly the entire runtime. Sure, films have a lot of moments where you do so. An action sequence, a shocking twist, the build-up to the big reveal, all of these tropes are classic ways in which films cause you to lean in a little more closely. However, those moments are often accompanied by long stretches of downtime to give you a chance to rest or catch up. Uncut Gems has none of those quiet, restful moments. Instead, the filmmakers behind this film create one of the most unrelenting, restless thrillers I’ve ever seen. And the fact that it’s a movie starring Adam Sandler makes me even more surprised with how gripping this film is.
Uncut Gems is written and directed by Josh and Benny Safdie and stars Adam Sandler, Kevin Garnett, Lakeith Stanfield, Julia Fox, Mike Francesa, Idina Menzel, and Eric Bogosian. The story follows Howard Ratner (Sandler), a jeweler in the New York diamond district who continues to dig himself deeper and deeper into debt with his failing sports bets. As his debt continues to increase, he gets more desperate, making deals and promises around expensive jewels and stones that continue to backfire on him, resulting in devastating consequences to his professional career and his home life.
This is one of the few films I’ve seen in quite some time that actually made me feel anxious and on the edge of my seat. The anxiety that this film creates is unlike anything found in modern cinema. There were several moments in which I actually cringed, and not because I thought it was stupid to watch as it was quite the opposite. The situations and scenarios that Howard gets himself into slowly escalate as the film progresses, and you feel that escalation of anxiety every step of the way. The Safdie brothers deserve major props for not only creating an anxious world for the characters to inhabit but one that seeps into the theater and makes you feel as if you are experiencing these situations firsthand. It really is a film that has you in its grasp from start to finish and that is due to the incredible talent behind the camera.
One major contributor to the palpable anxiety is the editing, both in picture and sound. For the picture, the edits are quick and jagged feeling, yet it feels right for this film. The shots stay on screen long enough for you to process them but that time isn’t very long. As the situations get more heated, the cutting speed picks up, yet it never feels too fast and is quick enough to generate just the right amount of intensity for each scene. The sound mixing, however, is where things really start to get intense. The sound that accompanies this film is loud, hard-hitting, realistic, and unlike anything found in modern film. The heated arguments and confrontations in which characters try to talk loudly over each other are mixed in such a way that seems so realistic and gritty that it doesn’t even feel like you’re watching actors. The background noises are also loud and overbearing as well, helping to underscore the anxious atmosphere that the film is going for. From a technical standpoint, this film successfully creates a fully realized, oppressive world that gets more and more intense as the film progresses.
Another thing this film exceeds at is casting and performances. There are some extremely unusual casting choices in this film, from the leading actor to the supporting cast. Despite the strange choices, however, each and every one of them works brilliantly and gives us some of the best performances of the year. Adam Sandler is usually an actor I cannot stand, with most of his films being unwatchable to me. Here, however, it’s almost as if I’m watching a different person altogether. Sandler gives what is easily the best performance of his career and manages to bring a layer of sympathy and humanity to an otherwise unlikable character. Also excellent is Kevin Garnett, who really surprised me with how well he was able to hold his weight against the more experienced actors he shared the screen with. Also great is Julia Fox, who makes it look like nothing despite being her first major role. The actors in this film help to further sell the intensity of the situations, making the technical elements even more panic-inducing.
This anxious feeling surrounding the entire film underscores the ideas of naivety and passion and the illogical choices that arise from such things. There are plenty of times that Howard has the opportunity to make the logical choice and potentially put all of his troubles to bed. However, his addiction to gambling and his desire to make more out of himself ultimately causes him to make some truly awful decisions. While you want to criticize him for his choices and actions, you can’t help but feel sorry for the guy. His illogical choices aren’t made because he is stupid, it’s because he is so naïve and hopeful that things will work out that he will be willing to bet big. However, that hope and naivety ultimately create the trouble he gets himself into. There is also the idea of greed, and how that can bring out the worst in people around Howard that is explored brilliantly in both the main and subplot. All in all, this is a very complex and deep film that provides more than enough substance to compensate the intense style.
I was simply blown away by how amazing this film was. From start to finish, the Safdie Brothers craft one of the most intense viewing experiences I’ve ever participated in. The editing and sound mixing in this film is simply top-notch, as are the performances from its excellent cast. Add to it the complex exploration of many different themes and ideas and you have yourself not only the best Adam Sandler film, but one the best films of 2019.
9/10