Adam Sandler stars as The Gamblerboy in this new hip crime-thriller; telling the story of a Jewish jeweller and impulsive gambler running from debt collectors, whilst trying to chase his own money, Uncut Gems is the New York equivalent of what happens when you lend that flaky friend a tenner. It also deals with the themes of success, money, love and family.
I was recommended Uncut Gems by a couple of friends who promised me an anxiety-ridden, fast-paced thriller which harked back to some of the big '70's thrillers (your Dog Day Afternoon and the like). I trusted their opinion, however I found that I didn’t wholly agree with it; Uncut Gems is alright, I wouldn’t watch it again. For me, the story was there, however it didn’t go in the direction I thought would have made it truly great and after two hours it seems to build up to nothing more than a lacklustre and predictable ending. That isn’t to say I wouldn’t recommend it to others though. I would.
Adam Sandler is surprisingly very good in it, and this film shows he takes good direction very well. His character, Howard Ratner, is a ticking time bomb who’s starting to lose his balance between his family, mistress and business. In the pursuit for what seems for him eternal happiness and financial security (I use that term incredibly loosely), he makes enemies of his own family, collegues and loses any decency or morality he had. When he finally gets his hands on a large opal gem, his issues only go from worse to catastrophic; dealing with violent loan sharks, flippant basketball players and auction houses.
Sandler is supported by a generally good cast, with many familiar faces appearing here and there. My issues lie more with the film itself rather than the characters. To start, the soundtrack is awful; it feels out of place in many scenes and fails to match the tone of the film. Certain scenes, especially at the beginning come to mind, I assume unconsciously, mirror that dreadful scene in Get Carter, where multiple conversations are happening and you can’t really tell just who is saying what. Thankfully though they are few and far between after the first fifteen minutes or so. The opening and ending credits are lost on me, visually how you go from an opal to a sphincter I don’t know. Bring whatever interpretation you want to that. It all seems a bit too pretentious for a film which is very gritty and matter of fact for the majority of it.
Whilst the cinematography is good, nothing stands out. With the exception of Ratner’s Diamond District jewellery store, the other sets feel quite open and any sense of tension is dispersed. I think because he lives a good life, with a very nice house and car with apartment in the City, I don’t feel as angsty that this guy is in tens-going-into-hundreds of thousands of dollars' of debt. Compare that to his store and work office where everyone is encased and unable to leave freely and busy and everything is cluttered, it may be more just a clear contradiction of his state versus how his family are. You know what? After writing this I change my opinion on the sets; they’re actually very good at conveying how lost Sandler’s character is outside of his own world.
I must apologise for that literary detour down Critical U-Turn Lane. Although I was not bowled over by Uncut Gems, there is something there. I think it falls short of being an instant classic, although I feel, like a fine wine that gets better with age, that after a decade or two it may be worth revisiting. It definitely attempts to pay homage to those older New York crime thrillers, but it gets lost here and there and could have taken a different route, story-wise. It has certainly set up the directors, Josh and Benny Safdie in good standing and I would love to see Adam Sandler in more of these serious roles.
Everyone can relate to lending something to someone and struggling to get it back, and that fuels a lot of the emotions experienced in this film. I think for myself, it established some anger at the relatability and also at Howard Ratner’s actions quite early on which set me up for having a good idea at how the story was going unfold. If you have Netflix then I imagine that you have already seen this film, if not, then check it out. It is a good film, but I think in Uncut Gems' case I have been unfairly subjective due to me not having Netflix and therefore having to go elsewhere to see it.
Just give me Little Nicky 2. Please.
Reviewer - Daryl Griffin
on - 29/2/20
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