Uncut Gems

Uncut Gems

Starring Adam Sandler, Julia Fox, Kevin Garnett, Lakeith Stanfield

Directed by Benny & Josh Safdie

When you think of the name Adam Sandler, you think of a man who had a stellar comedic career early on with hits like "The Waterboy," "Big Daddy," "Happy Gilmore," and "The Wedding Singer."  You also probably think of the word "has-been," since he's pretty much hasn't had a decent hit in years, resorting to making almost weekly films for Netflix that often fall flat on any basis of decency, resorting to typical slapstick jokes and Sandler's classic nervous humor that garners more basic chuckles than full-on guffaws.

He did garner some modest dramatic success with films like "Punch Drunk Love," "Reign Over Me," and "The Meyerowitz Stories," but you hardly think of him as a dramatic actor.  This all has changed now with "Uncut Gems," a film that has now heightened Sandler to full-on Oscar contender, as he delivers a spellbinding, powerful, unnerving, and downright perfect performance (something I never thought I'd ever say) that even the great thespian Daniel Day-Lewis recognized Sandler's performance with a personal call to the actor who told Sandler that he was on the edge of his seat, grabbing the seat in front of him.  To herald that type of acclaim from the most talented actor of our time is no easy feat, and as I was sitting through the film I found myself in the same position, on the edge of my seat gabbing the seat in front of me as I was witnessing something truly profound and powerful, a film that'll stick with me for a long time to come.

The film follows Harold Ratner (Adam Sandler), a Jewish-American jeweler who lives a very fast and loose life - he's stuck in a loveless marriage to Dinah (Idina Menzel) due to his continued infidelity with his employee Julia (Julia Fox), he's addicted to gambling using high-stakes money that's often not his, and finds himself in deep with his brother-in-law Arno (Eric Bogosian) to whom he owes a lot of money to.  When his employee Demany (Lakeith Stanfield) brings in NBA star Kevin Garnett to his Diamond District store, Howard feels he's hit paydirt.  He shows Garnett an uncut opal that he received from an Ethiopian diamond mine, and Garnett instantly becomes obsessed with it.  Howard won't sell it because he plans on putting it on auction, but lets the basketball player use it for good luck in that night's game - the first of many mistakes Harold makes throughout the film that continues to build tensions and spirals Howard's life out of control.

Directed by brothers Benny and Josh Safdie (who also co-wrote the script along with Ronald Bronstein), "Uncut Gems" is an unrelenting thriller that hits on all cylinders from the first moment to the last, never releasing you from its vice-like grip, something the brothers are very well known for especially in their other acclaimed work "Good Time."  They expertly portray Howard as a seedy, scathing, morally dubious man who's addicted to gambling and prone to making every wrong decision imaginable, so much so that there's hardly any redeeming qualities about the man.  It's a fascinating character study as Howard carries himself mostly with an unbalanced sense of self-righteousness, as his entire life falls apart around him - culminating in a coming to Jesus moment for Howard that is absolutely mesmerizing in its raw nature before his robotic facade takes over again and he continues being insufferable as before.

Adam Sandler is pure genius here, giving a performance that'll easily define his career and serve hopefully as a launching pad for bigger and better projects (although the only projects listed as upcoming for him is a fourth "Hotel Transylvania" and a film called "Hubie Halloween, so...maybe not).  He uses his naturally uncomfortable persona to full effect here as he hardly ever just sits back and relaxes - he's constantly moving, running through the streets, making his way through crowded concerts and everything in between.  Not only is he physically moving, but his mouth never lets up as he's constantly talking, and I was amazed how well he managed to maintain and juggle the amount of lies he tells in a single moment.  If anyone thinks they got life bad, they'll see Howard's life and think that theirs isn't as bad as they thought.

The actors around Sandler also perform admirably, each one offering a different variation of Howard's life.  Idina Menzel is Howard's no-nonsense wife who wants to divorce him after Passover for his many indiscretions, and gives a jaw-dropping performance you don't see coming.  Lakeith Stanfield plays Howard's dubious employee Demany who hustles high-value customers to the diamond store and also has scrupulous morals as well.  Kevin Garnett plays himself, but a very sensationalized version of himself as he becomes obsessed over the uncut gem, almost becoming a Gollum-type creature in his quest to own it for himself, and surprisingly the heart of the film comes with Howard's mistress Julia (played by newcomer Julia Fox) who is completely infatuated with Howard for reasons only known to her, but also continually stands in Howard's corner when no one else will.

The Safdies manage to craft a sense of uneasiness in a way that's completely organic and natural, and somehow manages to only intensify as the film continues, keeping you guessing up to the very last minute.  It really does cause you to sit on the edge of your seat because you have no idea what's going to happen next, crafting a wholly unique, esoteric story about a deeply flawed man and his continually dubious decisions that only confounds his problems more and more.  This is heightened all the more by the frantic dialogue throughout as you can't fully grasp what everyone is saying, but can understand the hidden tones behind it, serving as a loud chorus of insanity.  Equally, the music score is deeply unsettling and perfectly crafts the sense of impending dread that builds up.

Easily Adam Sandler's best performance ever, "Uncut Gems" grabs you from the first moment to the last, keeping you on the edge of your seat in eager anticipation and excitement as the story weaves a rich tapestry of suspense, thrills, and downright insanity.

The Score: A+