Uncut Gems

The Sandman is a live wire in a Jewish maelstrom - It's Dunkirk for the Diamond District, Barton Fink for the Fast and the Furious, There Will Be Blood for Schlemiels, Wagner's Ring Cycle for Bobby Boucher (okay you get the damn point)

Imagine having your name tattooed on Julia Fox's butt cheek... I'm sure he is resting in peace.

An exercise on fate & character, Fortuna & Virtu. It opens with an "accident" & walks us through the universe, the sum of all possibilities. Howard wants to conquer these possibilities, overcome fortune. That's why he bets, he is on the move & can't stop for a sec, he's in a race with destiny. In a reified world, he's a player. He's not after the thing, but the excitement. That's why when he sees Julia naked, before the sex he makes a game & adds excitement. Also, "Killing of a Chinese Bookie".

With a protagonist so wholly despicable, yet it's difficult to relish in his misfortune, "Uncut Gems" gives the viewer no one to root for. The Safdie brothers have perfectly mastered a tensity unmatched by veterans while still only in their 30's, but they have yet to write a compelling character.

Terribly unpleasant to watch. It's ugly, loud and annoying. Sandler gives a great performance, the soundtrack is pretty nifty and a handful scenes are really good, but the rest is just unwatchable for me. Annoying characters making awful decisions and then paying for it while creating new awful decisions. Painful to watch and not in a good way.

This is much better than Good Time on every level. It's got gem auctions and it's got Kevin Garnett and it's got NBA betting and Adam Sandler in a performance that is actually great. The suspense is on acid, will KG get over 8.5 rebounds? I'm a sucker for this type of action, I just love this stuff.

Remake of and homage to BAD LIEUTENANT (1992), but as Jewish rather than Catholic, which means: less guilt, less drugs, and a little more calculation (but ultimately still aimed at the ineffable and the incalculable). Very tense and effective study of a character who might contain the whole universe within him but whose cosmos remains fundamentally and perpetually unstable, something that drives him further and further, in spite and because of the risk of self-destruction he thereby courts.

An effective soundtrack and strong central performance have little consolatory effect on a film that's little more than awful people doing awful things and getting treated awfully because of it. The Safdie brothers can draw out incredibly human performances, but I don't know if anybody asked for this one; it's ugly, painful, and frenetic. Intentionally, perhaps, but unpleasant from start to finish.

Frenetic and frantic, Uncut Gems showcases a near-perfect performance from Adam Sandler (words I never thought I would write) and obvious perfection of style from the Sadfie brothers. I don't always love the breakneck speed, but by the end it had won me over.

Safdies have perfected their style, a relentless, neon-soaked, anxiety-induced acid trip that never lets off the accelerator. Nothing but immense praise to Sandler for pulling off both the scummiest and most inspirational character of 2019.

If Howard Ratner survived a skydiving session, he'd look for the next opportunity to bungee jump. Instead he deals jewels and gambles his winnings, and the Safdies put the camera right into his smiling face and let us wriggle into despair, hoping this loser with a heart and a drive can pull a win. In the end, Josh and Benny win - and so do we.

I pretend to know who thought "hey, that song is really cool, why not use it to COVER EVERY OTHER SOUND OR DIALOG FOR THE FIRST 10 MINUTES". For me it has been like watching a parody of a gangster b-movie, with stereotyped characters doing and saying stupid things. Staging is loud and confused in every scene. Terrible plot too: at halfway through the movie I started asking myself if I really cared about if Sandler's character would have been able to recover that opal. Great acting by Adam anyway

Exhausting, oppressively ugly and abrasive film is brilliantly constructed, and Sandler's one man tour-de-force of intensity is kind of incredible, but it's difficult to discern why the Safdies want to trudge their audience through this bleak morass - by the climax, you're happy it's over, but it's ultimately a sad and hollow feeling. The technical merits and feel for Howard's dangerous and desperate world are first rate, but not sure if this is a journey which would reward multiple visits.

Sandler in rare dramatic form playing an impulsive jerk who throws caution to the wind and lives perpetually on the edge, addicted to the thrill of the chase. Inevitably, his life spirals out of control, but part of the fascination is watching Howard make one rash decision after the next, and the Safdie's translate his mental state well through jarring cuts and musical cues. It ultimately gets tiring watching dumb, loud and annoying characters doing dumb, loud and annoying things though.

Never seen anything operate on this level. Feels impossible not to get caught up in the relentless, spiralling momentum of it, and the powerful subconscious urge for someone really ugly to succeed is a testament to this. There's a sensation of being fully absorbed into the stress, anxiety and euphoria of someone else's compulsion loops, and Sandler's ability to generate pathos in spite of his actions is something I can't even put my finger on. Lopatin's score elevates it even higher.

Sandler shit on all those fucks that doubt him. If you preface your review by saying WHY DON'T HE ALWAYS ACT LIKE THIS you don't get it. A film of legend. A film that resonates with My core as a man(Jews,basketball, gambling, Sandler, the allure of shiksa ass and strained but beautiful father son moments).Movie has you by the throat the entire time, let's you get a tiny breath and shoots you in the head right after. "Now you can't even get buried with me!"

This movie is the definition of chaotic energy.

The only character I actually liked was Ray Allen.

passed about like ophuls' earrings, the gems circulate a path bisecting the worlds of sport & cinema, where ground-level aspiration & romantic dreams of transcendence meet the system shaping & profiting from them. if good time approached scoldy sadism (even the title is a bit much), here the safdies' understanding of the nature of the game doesn't stop the players shining; set against the charm & euphoric, demented energy of this golden ensemble, the scathing critique only hits harder.

Throwing a dozen problems at your unsympathetic protagonist in a single scene that he then solves by creating five new ones might make your film feel "frantic", but that's no substitute for a thrilling progression of the story. All of the characters in the movie were unlikeable, all for their own reasons, none of them interesting. In the end, even the big twist left me cold as I did not care for any of the characters. I was just glad it was finally over.

The Safdie Brothers sure know how to induce stress. I have to really commend the sound design, which is so confusing and disorienting. Things just ratchet up more and more and more until you almost can't stand it. And, as has been said many times already, Sandler knocks it out of the park.

This is a stressful experience really, with Howard's problems cascading on top of one another each with a new, darker shade of gravity, all having to be managed while someone or something is banging louder and louder in the background like a headache that won't quit. Frantic, ugly, mobile camera work meshes well with the awful people on screen. I tell you, ending aside Howie would have had an aneurysm in the next scene anyway.

Life affirming-ly great cinema, made with a genuinely guerrilla and collaborative sensibility sorely missing from many contemporaries. That this is Keith William Richards' first performance is somewhat mind boggling. And I'm not sure how / why it works so well, but I can't imagine anything other than L'amour Toujours closing this...

Watching this makes you forget about 80% of Adam Sandler's catalog of work. Uncut Gems has its flaws, but it is undoubtedly entertaining. It's weird watching this built up and constantly beating frenetic energy work so well in a film like this. Despite Sandler's performance, his character isn't very likable. Because of that, I don't feel so engaged that it is tension-building worthy. Instead, it feels like I'm just watching chaos with some great performances. Pretty good.

Having your film's climax be a Jewish guy watching a basketball game is a ballsy move.

Think I need to rewatch this with lower expectations. Pales in comparison to Good Time after a first watch. The main issue for me is that Howard is so unlikable that I did not care one bit whether he succeeded or not, and as a result I didn't feel any of the tension, stress, panic, or anxiety that seems to have gripped everyone else. There's still some great film craft and acting to appreciate

Manic, anxiety-inducing assholishness abounds. Sandler is perfect for the role of this somewhat likable prick, and the supporting cast is all wonderful. The direction from Safdies is somewhat amazing. One of the best of the year (so far).

This is not my kind of movie. It's loud, chaotic, miserable and one-note. But I have to admit, somewhat begrudgingly: this is a very good movie. It's stylish in an off-the-cuff, explosion-of-colour-and-form kind of way. Even though I didn't really care about Howard Ratner's fate, I was engrossed by him. I do understand the few negative reviews that exist for this movie. But for me, it works as a character study, and as a raw audiovisual experience. I liked it despite myself.

I haven't had a panic attack in a half-decade, but those feelings all came rushing back while watching this film. I nearly turned it off so I could take a cold bath. I like how Howard just kept making the worst possible decision in the moment. Adam Sandler should have gotten a Best Actor nom.

I never cared the least bit what would happen. Unpleasant to watch.

Sandler is great here, and it's hands down one of the most gripping films of the year.

Yeah, the Safdies made this entirely for me and I won't hear anything else. So many great scenes but When he's watching his first bet and his son is betting on the game with his friends and they're watching the game together and he puts his arm on his son I got a little misty eyed. The fact that I knew the exact outcome of that game and was still on the edge of my seat speaks to how well the Safdies crafted this movie. This movie is pure energy. An instant fav. Maybe I'll write more

I didn't know "annoying" could be a concept, but here it is.

Exhausting. Too much noise, too much frenzy. It made me nervous and uneasy for all the wrong reasons.

The intensity the Safdies are able to wring out of this in every aspect of the filmmaking (not just plotting, but mise en scene, unsteady cam, and especially that sound design) creates a truly empathetic experience, allowing us to walk in another man's shoes. However, there's enough objectivity in the camera for us to also understand the grave stakes in a way he simply never does. Loved seeing the mysteries and beauties of the universe through this man's life.

It really drags, like most of it is collected sit-com fill material, then the WTF ending.

Adam Sandler and the Safdie's are a perfect combination. Absolutely brilliant; Sandler gives what is easily his best performance so far, going absolutely above and beyond expectations which in my case were actually high because he has showcased the ability to turn in great performances outside of his usual comedy shtick. The Safdie's on all fronts deliver another excellent film, utilizing and even surpassing the pace of their previous efforts in the process making an experience that is must see

We all knew Adam Sandler could act, we just forgot. We won't forget now.

Intense, harsh, gritty, a work of busy realism stretched and twisted to comically absurd extremes. I don't think I've ever pulled my hair so much watching a comedy. It's unlike anything they've done before, but no one other than the Safdies and Bronstein could make this particular movie. And no one who sees this will ever doubt Adam Sandler's acting credentials again.

Jewish 'Pusher'.

I really did not like this film. I thought the film was really well shot, but everything else just doesn't work. Adam Sandler isn't all that good here, showing that he doesn't really have any range. The story wasn't good and the ending I saw coming a mile away.

I definitely don't get it and think the Safdie brothers really need to find a better editor. Does realism really cause you to stand out that much?

I couldn't breathe for two hours, you cocksuckers!

Safdies can close-up, huh? I'm gonna cum. Fascinatingly raw, colorful, hiperactive character study that just would not have worked so beautifully if it wasn't for the bros. It goes up and down in pure human mayhem in a late capitalist world, where the man who places bets with the money he's supposed to pay debts never thinks things are gonna go sour. Even when they do. Lend an Ethiopan opal to KG so he can win that six figure bet for ya and you can pay the bad guys and escape with your mistress.

Nearly every character in this movie is a scumbag. But they all made me care what happens to them. Captures the claustrophobia and self-centered culture of Manhattan extremely well. And visually it's the most honest representation of New York I've seen in a very long time, complete with indoor locations that always feel cramped, and outdoor environments that are grey and littered with scaffolding. Great, natural casting. I didn't know Adam Sandler had this in him.

Sandler and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. Over the top and laced with irony played for comedic effect, all the way up to the credits music, it wasn't as stress inducing as the reviews suggested. That said, I still appreciated the film's direction in keeping tensions high throughout the film, especially its use of actual NBA games in the plot.

While Adam Sandler is a force to be reckoned with and his awards snub is certainly criminal, the minor characters (i.e. Wayne Diamond) can live out their lives for the rest of their days on screen and I would not be bored for a single second. Its melding of the comedic and tragic, the grimy and glamorous, the stressful and seamless, is perfect, and will go down as one of the greatest films of the decade, in due time. That and The Master, they sort of vine neck-and-neck in that aspect.

Uncut Gems is an uncouth gem. The film matches 80’s-esque synth music and neon-lights with a frantic lead on a downward spiral. Several of the encountered characters were already exasperated, and it wasn’t long before I was as well. This however seems to be the Safdie’s aim as they drag you into their depraved world of scum and villainy. Every character is vile, so there’s no rooting for anyone, but it’s hard not be be engaged. Sandler does well, but the film isn’t rewatchable.

From the opening scene to the credits it is pure tension. Mindblowing is an understatement.

Mania encapsulated.

Felt so similar to Good Time except I enjoyed it less.

Awesome.

(GARNET[T])

I liked this more than Good Time and enjoyed the energy that Sandler brought to the role, but for some reason I can't get into what the Safdie brothers are bringing to the table like everyone else seemingly can. Like Good Time there's an attempt to be frenetic, but unlike some other movies that try that, it got tiresome. Admittedly this had more heart and better characters, but aside from the ending I can't say I loved any one bit. Poor musical choices, made the tone seem silly to me.

It's good, but exhausting.

Uncut Gems is an atmospheric, anxiety-inducing thriller about a self-defeating gambler; the direction, editing, and dreamlike synth backing track make for a disorienting and intense film that is a must-watch.

I'm not sure I knew what was happening at any point in the film, and I could not look away. Sandler is at his absolute best and really blew me away. You truly have to see this movie to experience It. I really had to process my thoughts for awhile after. It never stops movie and all of the characters and their interactions felt very real and authentic. I highly recommend for any film buff out there. I give 9 gold ferbies out of 10.

Frantic, exhausting, boring marathon of stereotypical characters making stupid stereotypical decisions. I couldn't care less. A film with nothing to say, a style exercise that should have been a short film. And frankly i don't know what you all are talking about, Sandler has the same face and the same tone of voice for two hours and half, we are at Nicholas Cage level of acting here. Speeding through a bad script doesn't magically make it good.

What an absolute shitshow of anxiety. Could have been great if they'd just slowed it down enough so I could understand some dialogue.

A perpetually uncomfortable watch with an unlikeable protagonist could work well if you felt there was a point to the whole exercise: there isn't here. Feeling like a feature-length episode of Stressed Eric without the laughs, Ratner's troubles are so self-inflicted you have no sympathy for him whatsoever (or anybody else for that matter) - yet the inevitable conclusion isn't even satisfying. Ridiculously overrated by critics, with the final 20 minutes the worst part of the entire film.

constant cutting isn't a genius invention to creaty anxiety. if it was, tens of master editors would have used that. the talent is to be able to create anxiety in a natural pacing. look at scorsese's brilliant editor thelma schoonmaker.

Another dose of anxiety from the Safdie brothers, with a knockout performance from Sandler - and yet I can't help feeling a bit unsatisfied. Having seen their previous film Good Time recently, it becomes obvious that the two share a lot of similarities - same self-destructive lead, same arc, same synths, etc. It's a bit of a let down and I'd like to see the Safdies branch out a bit. Still, I enjoyed it. But the same tricks won't work a third time.

Wow wtf! Insane movie.

Definitely messed with my anxiety throughout the entire thing but it was a good movie and worth it.

Despite how screwed up everything got, that ending was so exciting and tense it kinda made me want to do some sports betting.

A potent cocktail of anxiety and the thrill of risk-taking... a way of living that I flee from in my own life, but cannot help but be fascinated with in others. The soundtrack, both the music and the array of voices often drowning out singular conversational threads is brilliant, as are the close-up, strange angles in the camera work, always preventing us from getting a wider perspective, which enhances the feeling of inevitably of taking one risk too many in the end.

This is really well made, and really well acted, but this movie had me feeling probably some of the most uncomfortable I've ever been watching a movie. Heck, this movie gave me a nightmare, and movies NEVER affect my dreams, but this one stuck with me. Really well made movie, but I'm definitely never watching it again.

Really nice soundtrack and momentum. The story bends and turns all the way through; maybe a bit too much.

the most egregious, immoral, profiteering scumbag in the movie is Anne the auction queen. But who cares? One of the (many) victories of the movie is its unveiling of rats killing each other over crumbs, while the people outside (KG, Anne) poke at them with sticks.

Damn. That felt like a really satisfying orgasm after a long and tense edging session.

I love a good serious Adam Sandler film, and this is up there. It's one of the few films that really know how to dig under your skin and just make you feel uncomfortable - in a good way. You almost feel like you're having a panic attack while watching and I think that's the point. Very memorable film.

thought this would be better than it was

Howard gets a colonoscopy in the opening scene and this is the last good decision he makes for the duration of the film. The gall to start your story with this mundane and terrible health requirement is just delightful. What has been described as a film that spends two hours yelling at you turns out to be more entertaining than its sounds. Sandler has never been better, even if he plays about the last guy I'd like to hang out with.

Adam Sandler is at his all time best in this beautiful and chaotic masterpiece of a film. It's high stakes, fast talking take no prisoners tension through out as Howard makes his next daring move. It was fantastic. You could feel the tension mounting, you could feel Howard's erratic actions creepy on up on him as he played around with money and possessions that did not belong to him. Raw and uncut, one of the best films I have ever watched.

This movie is an experience. A crescendo of anxiety that gives way to a cathartic finish.

Adam Sandler fast talks his way through several shady deals and juggles dept and hard earned cash in ever more stressful situations. His natural energy plays perfectly into the story which is fast paced and stress in movie form. The final scene is one of the most intense sequences ever shot where basically nothing happens.

ARMS OFF THE GLASS KG

Not sure what all the hype about this movie is about. It's an enjoyable little movie, but that's it. Sandler's been better in other roles.

This felt like Sandler wrote it for the Safdies, and not the other way around. He's as annyoing as in most of his movies, but without the relief of any jokes around it. Zero connection to my life, don't think the Safdies are ever gonna be for me...

This film has an interesting script. Adam Sandler is great in the lead role here. Most of the main characters are unlikable in this movie. Overall I would recommend this drama.

Wtf was up with the music?

Pure Anxiety-Inducing cinema. I don't think I've ever felt more stressed watching a movie than I did during that final basketball game. Bravo, great film-making.

An absolute panic attack of a movie. Sandler is superb, the direction is beautifully choreographed chaos and the soundtrack compliments perfectly. I think I may actually find even more to admire in subsequent viewings, once my fucking nerves recover in about 6 months!

This was good. When Sandler is good, he is good. The film comes together well and is good at depicting an addicts spiral into chaos. Every part comes together really nicely for a nice final crescendo.

Nice to see Sandler in a not a garbage movie once in a while, he's real solid in this

Not a false note in this thing. Adam Sandler gives a performance for the ages, helped by a great cast of natural actors. I was immersed from the very first scene. The Safdies have crafted - with the help of a great score and unceasing sound design - a perfect mix of stress and thrill. The movie tightens the grip with every scene. It's been a long time since I was so invested in the last act of a movie. Howard is an unrelenting asshole, but -like the movie itself- has a lot of heart.

I saw this a month ago and I haven't reviewed it until now because it's been swirling in my head ever since. it was as thrilling, nerve-wracking and stress inducing as I expected; what I did not expect was a brilliant examination of social groups and the means by which they survive and find meaning. score might be too low, and analysis definitely is.

I wanted to shoot Adam Sandler's character in the head myself, 30 mins in. #WinStupidPrizes

Will seek to overwhelm in the best possible ways. This film focuses on panic and obsession, traits expertly entrusted to and performed by Sandler (it's a career best for him), and somehow pulls the threads tighter and tighter, past the breaking point. It's so goddamn well done.

The most glorious panic attack I've seen.

Noisy and fast paced, but with some incredibly accurate observations - trying to watch sport and put his son to bed -quite compelling.

Sandler does shady well in this highly original piece of cinema. Nerve jangling and more absorbing than anything I've seen this year. I'm starting to think the Safdie brothers are the new Robert Altmans of NYC cinema.

The grimy New York setting is perfect and it's captured beautifully by the Safdie brothers' directing.The anxiety and tension generated by the movie is next level,it really takes for a ride and you don't know what to expect.But it wouldn't have worked if it wasn't for Adam Sandler.He plays what is in theory a very annoying character in such a way that you feel for him and you want to see him succeed.The best performance of his career.He really should take more roles like this because he's great.