Uncut Gems is a total knockout — both in that it’s a wallop of a film and may inspire a well-deserved nap afterwards, due to exhaustion shortly after the end credits roll.
In an epic convergence of nail-biting tension and powerhouse performances, the 2012-set thriller from brothers Benny and Josh Safdie (Good Time) features a career-best turn from Adam Sandler, who’s brilliant in uncharted territory that nevertheless feels like an apt fit for his talents.
The Sandman stars as New York City jeweler Howard Ratner, a compulsive sports gambler up to his diamond-encrusted Furbys in debt. When his loan sharks all come calling at once, Howard concocts grand schemes and new elaborate bets to turn his fortunes around, apparently unsatisfied with the inherent danger of his already fraught situation.
If his financial interests weren’t troublesome enough, Howard is also a wreck on the personal front. On the brink of divorce with his wife, Dinah (Idina Menzel), he keeps an elaborate apartment for his gorgeous mistress/employee Julia (Julia Fox, magnetic in her feature film debut) — all part of a wild juggling act that’s a miracle to behold.
Thanks in large part to the unified efforts of Darius Khondji’s crisp yet borderline intrusive cinematography, Ronald Bronstein’s and Benny Safdie’s razor-sharp editing and Daniel Lopatin’s unsettling score — all under the Safdies’ masterful direction — Uncut Gems maintains a propulsive pace, yielding thick suspense as Howard awaits the outcomes of gambles that are anything but sure things.
At the heart of our antihero’s quest for success is the titular illegally obtained rock, speckled with rare black opals, that he’s sure will net him big bucks at auction — plans that naturally don’t go as intended.
Complicating matters and further stoking the dollar signs in Howard’s eyes is none other than basketball legend Kevin Garnett (excellent as, well, himself), who touches the stone, has a quick, trippy vision of monumental moments from his life — conveyed via a phenomenal piece of editing — and becomes convinced that he needs the stone to prevail in the 2012 NBA Eastern Conference semifinals.
In the wake of this terrific buildup, and with everything on the line, Uncut Gems culminates in an extended climax so simple yet genius that it’s a wonder the scenario hasn’t been utilized before on film.
Sandler’s dark comedic presence keeps the energy high without plunging too deeply into the abyss too early on, but the cinematic victory primarily belongs to the Safdies, who’ve improved significantly as filmmakers since their previous effort.
Starts Dec. 25 at the Fine Arts Theatre
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