To watch a “Safdie Brothers” film is to experience a very distinct type of film: often portraying self-sabotaging underdogs who scurry throughout New York City’s underbelly, Josh and Benny’s films are heart-pounding and electric.
Take 2014’s Heaven Knows What, which follows a woman torn between her two loves: her boyfriend and heroin. There’s also 2017’s Good Time, which shows the aftermath of a botched bank robbery that turns into a race against the clock for survival (a film that further solidified Robert Pattinson’s art-house cred). In their latest film – Uncut Gems – the Safdies once again create a breakneck-speed film that centers around a law-skirting citizen who can’t help himself from getting in too deep.
Uncut Gems follows sleazy huckster Howard Ratner (Adam Sandler), a fast-talking jeweler whose gambling problems constantly overpower the responsibilities he has as a store manager to his employees and friends (LaKeith Stanfield), his wife (Idina Menzel) and kids, and to his illegitimate girlfriend (Julia Fox). Like any gambler, Howard believes that all of his troubles will be solved with the acquisition of a rare Ethiopian Opal (commonly referred to as “the gamblers gem”), which he intends to sell at auction for a king’s fortune. However, his cockiness blocks his better judgment when he lets Celtics star Kevin Garnett (as himself) borrow the gem for a night, hoping that the Opal’s good luck will help him win the bet he placed on the game. When the Opal isn’t returned on time as promised, Howard is thrust into an intense marathon throughout New York City to track down the Opal, not only to save his future investment but also himself from nasty debt collectors who’ve decided that Howard’s time is up.
What follows is dazzling, anxiety-inducing mania that spares no moment for viewers to catch their breath. Handheld and grainy camerawork (Darius Khondji serves as director of photography) lend further pulpy energy to this world that consists of overly-crowded nightclubs, sidewalk screaming matches, and dimly lit casinos. As for the score, Brooklyn-based artist Oneohtrix Point Never, who also scored Good Time, lends electronic and experimental compositions (arcade-style sounds are reminiscent of collecting gold coins in Super Mario video games) that help the audience escape reality and get lost in the world of the madness of the Safdies.
Returning to his more dramatic side, Adam Sandler delivers a stunning performance as a man on the edge of a mental breakdown. Those who found Punch Drunk Love and The Meyerowitz Stories a solid platform for the more “serious” Sandler to excel, Uncut Gems will be a welcomed return to the big screen. Proving himself to be one of the most dynamic actors of our time, under the direction of the Safdie’s provocative direction, Sandler’s natural talent is accelerated to new heights. Aside from transforming big-name actors into unrecognizable characters, the Safdies also have a gift when it comes to scouting amateur talent. Here, a majority of the cast are non-actors, including Kevin Garnett, The Weeknd, and Julia Fox (who credits Uncut Gems as her first film). This deliberate decision to cast non-professionals gives off a sense of liberation and unrestricted actions not common in feature films.
Like Howard Ratner – a maximalist through and through – Uncut Gems is very much a reflection of his go hard or go home lifestyle. Unsettling in all of the right ways, this film is no doubt a treasure to be sought out and celebrated.
UNCUT GEMS (2019)
Starring Adam Sandler, Julia Fox, Kevin Garnett
Directed by Benny Safdie, Josh Safdie
Written by Benny Safdie, Josh Safdie, Ronald Bronstein
Distributed by A24. 135 minutes.
Opening this Friday at ArcLight Hollywood.
