Uncut Gems
Tick Tick Tick. ***SPOILER****
What a ride! This movie is not suited for those with anxiety. Do you ever feel so overwhelmed with things that it often feels like you need a third or fourth arm to make a dent on your to-do list? This movie is the epitome of that feeling.
Right out of the gate, the film hits us with that fast-paced tone that it wants to set for the rest of the movie. We open with one of the more action-filled sequences in the movie with gem-miners finding the mystic opal that entrances the viewer with an extreme close-up as we fade into the title of the movie: Uncut Gems.
What we know about Adam Sandler: he’s a comedic actor who can sometimes find an emotional gem in his acting abilities. He showcases his range in this movie and still hits the comedic beats that made him who he is today. Although the humor in this film is far different from his usual schticks. Career-changing performance by Sandler. Speaking of career-changing, Kevin Garnett makes his major motion picture debut in this film with the best acting that I’ve seem from a basketball superstar. I also appreciated how the director wasn’t afraid to display his talents front and center stage at times. This movie looked intense to film for the actors at times, but Garnett handled it spectacularly. Props to Sandler and Garnett for their performances.
[INSERT) Kevin Garnett in his prime. Yes, including his basketball career.
We follow Howard Ratner (Adam Sandler) as he attempts to balance his multiple debts, family life, and at the same time, further enhance his financial power through the opal. For me, the film truly begins as soon as he makes the exchange for Garnett’s 2008 Championship ring, giving away his precious opal that almost made him climax from pure joy. From reading that last sentence, you may think Garnett is a fool, but the movie did an expert job on showing us why Garnett was so attached to the rock. A series of flashes of his basketball career, childhood, and success culminating in a loud glass shattering, as if Garnett had found it. Immediately after the exchange, Ratner pawns off the 2008 Celtics Championship ring to make a sports bet to pay off a long-outstanding debt he had. Ratner…Ratner…Ratner… He’s essentially doubling down on his debt, hoping that it pays off. It theoretically does, until one of his loan sharks stops the bet from going through. I facepalmed and exclaimed, “oh..my god” so much throughout this movie. The choices the characters made were fitting for their personalities, but ridiculous if this were a true story.
[INSERT) Sandy & Julia
We also follow Ratner’s family life and his 2 kids. To be honest, I could cares less about the family. They served no purpose to me other than to serve as a consequence of Ratner’s actions. They did make for some hilarious and stressful scenes as he tried to balance between him, his family, and his mistress. Ah yes, the mistress. Julia Fox does a wonderful job playing the beautiful mistress, Julia. Off the record, we all need a Julia in our lives. A girl who will go above and beyond to help you in your time of need and show her true commitment to you. Back on track, Julie is Ratner’s right hand woman and their relationship is as sweet as it is toxic.
Ratner makes his biggest bet at the climax of the movie. Doubling down on another bet. Putting his trust in the opal and Garnett by proxy. Set on the backdrop of the 2012 NBA playoffs, the movie gave the allusion that the film was based off a real story, which I liked. In a time, where bio-pics are trendy (Bohemian Rhapsody), Uncut Gems let us know that true realistic story-telling is still prevalent.
The ending felt deserved. As lovable or funny as Ratner was, his sins caught up to him. Although he wins his big bet, his greed is what gets him killed in the end by loan sharks. At least he was shot with a smile on his face in probably the highlight of his life. Knowing that he got away with it. With his girl.
The films throws everything at you almost at once and yet keeps you at the edge of your seat trying to piece together how Ratner is going to handle these stressful situations at times. I marveled at all of the long sequences of Sandler trying to keep his composure while everything is going wrong for him (self-inflicted, of course). Sometimes, the audience wants to be uncomfortable, which is how we taste the sweet nectar of relief eventually. We go to the movies to be absorbed in a different world. One where the problems are not our problems. We like to watch people go through their motions of figuring things out. As stressful as it can be.
This film was good. Really good. One of those gems that made me want to unwind afterward. I was hoping to get more “epic” moments, but overall, it wasn’t the movie’s goal to show some invincible, genius hero who wins in the end. They needed to show the flawed and frazzled Ratner, to give a realistic view of the diamond underworld. It didn’t leave me with much to think about and ponder (what you see is what you get), but it was an enjoyable experience that the storytellers put me on. I would solidly recommend it to friends and family.
8.9/10
Best,
Frank.
