The Chaotic Beauty of Uncut Gems

The Safdie Brothers serve up a film that's simultaneously gritty and glitzy, powered by one of Sandler's best performances in years

Adam Sandler can really act. That’s easy to forget when he appears in dreck like his recent Netflix vehicles. Once a box office powerhouse in the mid-to late 90's and early 2000's, he now seems relegated (or rather, has relegated himself) to appearing in banal, uninspired comedies. His forays into more serious fare like “Punch Drunk Love”, “Spanglish” and “Reign Over Me” proved he has the chops when he puts his mind to it and “Uncut Gems” is another example. Flanked by great performances from Idina Menzel, Julie Fox and former NBA superstar Kevin Garnett, Sandler rises to the occasion and delivers as a desperate man battling against bitterly desperate circumstances. It's his desperation that fuels every moment and helps keep audiences on their toes.

The high-energy drama offers a peek into the life of Howard Ratner, a Diamond District jeweler and compulsive gambler. His apparent appetite for destruction is only trumped by his appetite for high-stakes betting and it’s to this end he’s found himself barely treading above water. The potential meal ticket to paying his increasingly impatient debtors comes in the form a rare black opal plucked from the mines of Ethiopia. The stone becomes the center of Howard’s misadventures and further sends him hurtling out of control. Garnett becomes obsessed with the stone as well, hoping it'll energize his play during the 2012 NBA Playoffs. When you throw in a failing marriage, an affair with a young employee and the aforementioned money woes, you've got a pretty volatile cocktail being mixed.

Much like Howard’s perpetual chase of his next big hit, the thrill of Uncut Gems is wondering if he’ll succeed. Will his next parlay set him straight or only put him deeper in the hole? The action escalates with every high-rolling bet and violent shakedown until it crescendos in the climax with swift intensity. Perhaps it’s from years of goodwill portraying lovable losers, but his character is hard to hate despite him nearly screaming through the screen for the audience to do so. He’s deplorable yet weirdly charming. His magnetic presence makes the movie work for the most part but its overall ugliness may be irritating for some. It's loud, frantic and occasionally sleazy. However, it won't fail to entertain you and Sandler's Ratner never fails to surprise with the risks he takes. You can bet on that. B+