For most of the 21 st Century, Adam Sandler has been a bit of a joke. From puerile bro-comedies like Big Daddy to dumbed-down family dross a la Pixels, there was one unifying thread- it was all a bit shit. But in recent months, the Pied Piper of man-babies enjoy access to moderately of a revitalization. Murder Mystery was Netflix’s most-watched cinema of 2019, Daniel Day Lewis commendation his dramatic cuts and Saturday Night Live invited him back for the first time in 24 years. Uncut Gems, his new movie with indie auteurs the Safdie Brothers, is yet more proof of the’ Re-Sandler-ssance’.
Set in New York, the film follows Howard Ratner- a charismatic jeweller with a fledgling gambling addiction. Always on the lookout for the next big-hearted score, Howie’s dream of hitting it rich is counteracted by his terrible luck. After racking up obligations to some of the city’s nastiest robbers, he stakes everything( family, business, adore) on one final throw of the dice.
Read more: The Weeknd wasn’t the Safdie Brothers’ first choice pop star for’ Uncut Gems’
As a mid-career change of direction, Uncut Gems is a masterstroke. Sandler’s been here before- Paul Thomas Anderson’s Punch Drunk Love was an early foray into serious drama- and Howard is yet another of the dopey-but-likeable everymen Sandler offset his word with. But this seems different. Whereas Punch Drunk Love ambled around in a fog of surrealist dreamscapes, the Safdies’ crime thriller is almost unbearably tense. At 135 hours, it should feel bloated, but at no target is the action any less than gripping. Uncut Gems is an anxiety-inducing heart-attack of a movie that grabs its audience by the throat and shakes until there’s no breath left.
Adam Sandler in’ Uncut Gems ‘. Credit: A24/ Netflix
Short of nit-picking, there really is no way to criticise this film. Beautifully was shot dead by cinematographer Darius Khondji( Se7en, Midnight In Paris ), it has a gritty, twitchy vibe that merely adds to the paranoia. As a leading man, Sandler has never been better- flipping from revved-up temper tantrum to cuddly teddy abide in seconds flat. Such is the critical acclaim his rendition has received that the actor has promised to “make a crappy movie on purpose” if he doesn’t prevail an Oscar. After Uncut Gems, you wonder if he’s capable of that anymore.
Of course, there are flashes of the Sandler of old- like the comical instant when he sheds a punch at pa superstar The Weeknd. Rolling around amidst the cigarette butts on a grotty nightclub flooring, the unlikely cast-mates scrap like offsprings defending over a new doll( in such a case, Howard’s sweetheart Julia ). It’s a scene we’ve seen many times in Sandler movies, but here, it exactly reminds us how far he’s come.
Details
Director: Benny Safdie, Josh Safdie Starring: Adam Sandler, Idina Menzel, Lakeith Stanfield Release appointment: 10 January 2020
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