REVIEW #258 Uncut Gems (2019)

A charismatic Jeweller places a high stake bet as he attempts to balance business, family and adversaries on all sides in pursuit of the perfect win.

The Safdie brothers create an anxiety inducing movie that pulls the audience in all kinds of directions, never taking the foot off the pedal and a piece that emphasises the skill set of Adam Sandler. The films central protagonist is a really intriguing one, a gambling addict, jeweller who lives life on the edge, taking risk after risk in pursuit of the big win. By creating a lead character such as this, the audience are always left on the edge of their seat, shouting at the screen to ask what the hell Howard is doing! It almost feels like one continuous shot, it’s not, but the way the film is edited, combined with the swift movement of the storyline, creates that free flowing style that is reminiscent of one take movies. The cinematography holds the usual Safdie brother trademarks, incorporating neon lighting throughout the film with a real focus on close up shots and long distance tracking shots to reflect the emotion within the scene.

This has to be Adam Sandler at his peak, don’t get me wrong he will always be one of my favourite comedy actors but Uncut Gems really highlights his real talents, showing he is much more than just a comedy actor. He wonders blurring the lines between satire and dramatic acting as the lead role of Howard. I was also surprised by Julia Fox, I’m not quite sure what I expected from her going into the film, all I had seen from her is the viral memes and constant news articles but she actually really impressed me and injected a lot of life into the movie. Now I want to talk about the end sequence because it was the most chaotic, anxiety inducing ending that included a big shock that just hits you by complete surprise and I loved every second of it! It was the perfect ending and it summarises the entire atmosphere that the directors were trying to create. I know I’m a couple of years too late in terms of watching Uncut Gems but I’m so glad I finally got around to it, I recommend the film to all who haven’t seen it!

Overall (9/10)

Thanks for reading!

Callan

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