Uncut Gems

12/22/2019

Adam Sandler's best performance? No. But it's indeed his best since Punch-Drunk Love, which continues to be the pinnacle of his talent. While the film isn't the best talking about technique, it seems to me that its style is totally focused on making the experience an exhausting one. And Uncut Gems is an overwhelming journey full of anxiety and stress. It achieved that splendidly. That's its greatest accomplishment: To immerse you in the entire atmosphere of the environment that Sandler's character inhabits, while we witness the cascade of bad decisions he makes. Perhaps the biggest mistake is how the directors get to over-lengthen the story, which indirectly gets to a point where Sandler's character becomes obnoxious but I think that's part of the experience, because who ever in the

1/25/2020

**_Watching a guy screw up for two frantic hours may not sound very compelling, but this is a fine piece of work_** >_If you hold this_ >_Dazzling emerald_ >_Up to the sky,_ >_It will shine a billion_ >_Beautiful miracles_ >_Painted_ >_From the tears_ >_Of the most High._ >_Plucked_ >_From the lush gardens_ >_Of a yellowish-green_ >_Paradise,_ >_Look inside this hypnotic gem_ >_And a kaleidoscope of_ >_Titillating, soul-raising_ >_Sights and colors_ >_Will tease and seduce_ >_Your eyes_ >_And mind._ - Suzy Kassem; "A Jewelry Store Named India" (2011) Written by Ronald Bronstein, Josh Safdie, and Benny Safdie, and directed by the Safdies, _Uncut Gems_ is essentially two hours and fifteen minutes of watching a guy screw up in inc

1/27/2020

“This is how *I* win.” One of the most stressful movie experiences I’ve had in awhile. This whole movie runs entirely on acid and how the series of events unfold was particularly stressful. People constantly talking or yelling over each other while the brilliant sound work made the space around them feel so tight, but incredibly claustrophobic. While I like ‘Good Time’ a little more, but man what a rush. Adam Sandler is absolutely terrific as the greedy and sleazy Howard Ratner. If he's working with a good director, a strong supporting cast, and an interesting concept, Sandler will thrive. We follow Howard Ratner, a jewelry store owner in New York with a serious gambling problem that makes the hole his standing in deeper and deeper. Despite every terrible decision his character

2/24/2020

If you enjoy reading my Spoiler-Free reviews, please follow my blog @ https://www.msbreviews.com The Safdie brothers are known for their anxiety-inducing films, and Uncut Gems follows that tradition. It’s definitely a movie meant to be divisive. At several points during the film, all a viewer wants is to yell “shut up” to everyone on screen. The frenetic pacing, the overwhelming dialogue, and the loud score serve as both praise and criticism. Adam Sandler gives a career-best performance, but the narrative never quite grabbed me, being too repetitive and possessing a predictable yet impactful ending. Rating: B

3/27/2020

Brothers and co-directors Josh and Benny Safdie are two of the most exciting names working in modern independent cinema, so their film “Uncut Gems” debuted alongside a shadow of grandiose expectations. The bottom line is that the film is good but far from great, and I’m comfortable going out on a limb and guessing those crowing the loudest about how fresh and original this movie is haven’t seen their far superior 2017 film, “Good Time.” New York City jeweler Howard Ratner (Adam Sandler) is always on the lookout for the next big score. When he makes a series of high stakes bets that could lead to the windfall of a lifetime, Howard finds himself struggling to keep the balance between the growing list of adversaries, his business, his scams, and his home life. There isn’t much to the story

4/16/2020

Decent enough drama with Adam Sandler, though really found his character a bit too obnoxious to really care about though the ending was well done and surprisingly thrilling, but I have no problem with Sandler not getting a nod, I have seen him do better work (Punch Drunk Love for instance). Still, worth checking out even if it is a bit on the lengthier side for what it is. **3.5/5**