Late fall and early winter is the best time of year. The change in weather, the spreading of holiday spirit, and most importantly, the most anticipated and praised films releasing. The majority of the films nominated for the major awards, including the Oscars, were released during this period, such as Marriage Story, 1917, Little Women, and many more. However, a film that was also released during this time, Uncut Gems, unfortunately did not receive the award nominations the other films have been showered with, despite its overall excellence.
Uncut Gems, directed by Josh and Benny Safdie, revolves around a risk-taking and often-miscalculating Jewish jeweler named Howard Ratner, played by Adam Sandler. Ratner is complex; there are moments where we, the viewers, want him to succeed and to finally catch a break, however, there are numerous times where he blatantly sabotages any easy way of getting out of his troubles to fuel his obsession with money. Sandler plays his character effortlessly. Despite this role being more serious than his previous ones, he is still able to utilize his natural charm and make this character and all of his mannerisms memorable. It is obvious that Sandler is not just playing any other role, he is taking what the Safdies wrote and transforming it with meticulous care for the big screen. Additionally, Sandler and Ratner’s similarity—their faith—adds an interesting take to the film, specifically its genre. The Safdies and Sandler’s emphasis on Ratner’s religion and culture, and how that adds to the character overall, mirrors other crime films, such as Catholicism in The Godfather or The Sopranos. It is a shame to see Sandler snubbed from virtually every major award ceremony.
While Sandler arguably carries the film with his performance, the film also features a myriad of exceptional acting—Julia Fox, in particular, playing Ratner’s girlfriend Julia. Her character could have easily been forgettable and just for plot, however, Fox shines her personality through the character (which makes sense, considering the Safdies wrote the character for Fox). She even serves as a bit of comic relief in some parts of the film, while also conveying the sense of suspense needed in the film’s third act. Furthermore, a performance that surpassed my expectations is from Kevin Garnett, playing himself. He is not overwhelmingly remarkable, however, he is convincing as a superstitious version of himself, as his character relies on an Ethiopian black opal that Ratner obtained.
What makes this film so striking is its tone. The film is filled with two hours of pure anxiety. The only time the viewer is allowed to take a breath is at the very start and finish of the film, where it takes a psychedelic look inside the black opal. Besides that, it relentlessly beats you over the head with its chaos, with characters talking and yelling over each other, Ratner frantically trying to do everything at once, with a score that only fuels to the frenzy. Usually, a film with this pace is exhausting, but Uncut Gems manages to captivate the viewer for the entirety of the movie.
When the plot finally comes to a close, it is a bittersweet relief. The ending is unapologetically bleak; but if it was any other way, it would instantly lose the realism it holds. I have tried to think of ways to criticize the plot or the way it ends, but I find absolutely no gripes with it.
The top films of 2019, the ones that have been nominated for the major film awards, are all great and absolutely worth watching. However, those should be the foundation on the list of movies to see. Uncut Gems unfortunately failed to score those nominations, but the failure is not on the end of one of the most raw, edgy, and tense films of the decade; it is 100 percent on the Academy and the Hollywood Foreign Press.
