Uncut Gems - Movie Review

By
Susan Giles
7.5

10

0
7.5

10

Uncut Gems

Uncut Gems is the latest creation directed by the Safdie brothers, Josh and Benny, taking their audience on a 2 hour rollercoaster of emotions. If you previously thought you got anxious , watching this movie could just take you to a whole new level.

It is an extreme work of art on every single level, whether it is the acting by Adam Sandler, the musical tracks, the sets, or even the sensory images. Everything about Uncut Gems screams thrill and you are guaranteed to be on your tiptoes from start to finish.

As soon as the movie opens, you start hearing the electronic soundtrack that would signal a thriller about to begin. The opening scenes are so hectic you would not help but sit up and focus on every little detail. The camera takes you inside stone mines in Ethiopia, where two miners dig out a mesmerizing looking opal that would then be shipped all the way to the US where Adam Sandler, playing Howard Ratner, patiently awaits.

On the other end of the world, Howard is leading an adrenaline-filled life right on the edge. He is a promiscuous jeweler with some dramatic Jewish family ties. As the movie progresses, we see Howard struggling to pay his huge bets, while continuing to make risky gambling decisions that would eventually catch up to him.

The man is all over the place with his business, trying to pay what he owes to pretty much everyone he knows and maintaining a family presence.

With a man like Howard, it was only expected that he has trouble with his marital relationship. Yet we see his mistress completely infatuated with him throughout his ups and downs. His kids have mixed feelings about him, yet he says he does all that he does for the sake of his family.

Casting Adam Sandler for this role is nothing short of genius. It is far off his regular roles and makes you wonder where he was hiding all those acting abilities. Throughout the movie, you will love him, hate him, and pity him all at once. Although the movie shows only a couple of days of Howard’s life, you will feel as if you had known his entire back story.

https://revyou.com/uploads/thumbnail-960/1607172282016387683.webp Uncut Gems - Movie Review

The cast also includes Idina Menzel, in the role of Dinah, who is Howard’s wife and soon to be ex-wife. LaKeith Stanfield as Demany who is sort of Howard’s business associate, Julia Fox as Julia, Howard’s mistress, and Kevin Garnett as himself.

Howard and Kevin go head to head as Garnett is fascinated by the opal Howard has on offer, believing it has unmatchabe magical powers. Little did he know, this opal would change both their lives forever.

Looking at the cinematography for this film, it is quite stressful as it goes from one scene to another in non-stop movement. Yet this stressful movement is exactly what the movie needs to convey the message and keep the audience hooked for the entire duration.

The motion picture touches upon capitalism and some cruel facts of life. It subtly discusses inequality and how first and third world countries are so different. We see quick scenes from Ethiopia where one miner is horrifically injured with pretty much no hope of recovering or getting his wounds healed in that location.

Whereas, on the other side of the world, in New York Howard is getting a colonoscopy, where his physician is working in a fully-equipped room and narrating the whole scene to a team of doctors.

Everyone knows how busy and hectic New York is; it is the city of hustle and bustle. But with this movie, the hustle stories are just something else. Multiple clocks are ticking in every direction. From Howard’s business, to his opal being taken away from him, to his family life being shredded into pieces and his marriage about to fall apart entirely. Every minute is a different story and with every story you cannot seem to anticipate the end result.

This Netflix produced movie is one that you can watch when you are looking for something completely different. It is not something you should play if you are looking to stay relaxed or stay in your comfort zone, as it is guaranteed to play with your emotions.

It is, however, worth a watch and can easily be given an eight or nine out of ten. In terms of movies played and led by Adam Sandler, it is definitely a whole new experience worth putting some time into as it proves Sandler is a chameleon who can do pretty much anything from family films to exhausting thrillers.