Uncut Gems (2019)

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Quote

Set in the diamond district of New York City, Howard Ratner, a jewelry store owner and dealer to the rich and famous, must find a way to pay his debts when his merchandise is taken from one of his top sellers and girlfriend.

Trailer:

Release date: 12/25/19

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Critics' Choice Award nominations:

Best Picture

Best Actor – Adam Sandler

Best Director – Josh Safdie, Benny Safdie

Best Editing – Ronald Bronstein, Benny Safdie

[scrb]

Heard the Fresh Air review, Adam Sandler in a dramatic role.

Hmm.

[AimingforYoko]

I'll tell you this, the Safdie brothers definitely help you feel Howard's desperation the entire movie. And just when you feel the relief he feels when his mad, desperate gamble pays off, they pull the rug out.

This movie gives Sandler's fans and critics ammo. The fans can say, "See, he not just a hacky comedian." And the critics can say, "So he has the tools, he just so rarely gives a damn."

[Empress1]

On 12/26/2019 at 7:39 PM, AimingforYoko said:

I'll tell you this, the Safdie brothers definitely help you feel Howard's desperation the entire movie.

Yes. I told the person I saw it with that I just felt anxious the whole time watching Howard run around the city trying to keep everything together. And not the fun kind of moviegoer anxious. Also in the pivotal scene at the end when he trapped the people after him in between the doors, I'm not even claustrophobic and that was tripping me out.

Do y'all think his wife knew how deep he was in? She clearly knew about the mistress and I assume she knew he had more than just a passing interest in basketball, given how she responded to him watching the game AND the fact that the oldest son was already betting on games, and I'm sure she knew something was up with the locked-naked-in-the-trunk thing.

[EtheltoTillie]

8 hours ago, Empress1 said:

Yes. I told the person I saw it with that I just felt anxious the whole time watching Howard run around the city trying to keep everything together. And not the fun kind of moviegoer anxious. Also in the pivotal scene at the end when he trapped the people after him in between the doors, I'm not even claustrophobic and that was tripping me out.

Do y'all think his wife knew how deep he was in? She clearly knew about the mistress and I assume she knew he had more than just a passing interest in basketball, given how she responded to him watching the game AND the fact that the oldest son was already betting on games, and I'm sure she knew something was up with the locked-naked-in-the-trunk thing.

I felt the anxiety in the same way, as did the people I saw it with. It was like the final scene in Goodfellas for the whole movie. This truly gave the audience a feeling for this addiction lifestyle  

The wife knew something was up. She had no more Fs to give. 

I will be interested in seeing more from the Safdie brothers. They can be the next generation Coen brothers. And I LOVE the Coen brothers. 

[Wouldofshouldof]

Oh my GOD, I hated the background music in this movie.  Too loud and distracting, totally unnecessary.  I get that it added to the chaos, but I would have preferred for it not to be there. I really dislike Adam Sandler as an actor but he was good in this.  Ironically, we saw three f'ing Sandler movies in 24 hrs due to it being the holidays and movie watching is how we spent the 31st and 1st.

[kiddo82]

7 hours ago, Wouldofshouldof said:

Oh my GOD, I hated the background music in this movie.  Too loud and distracting, totally unnecessary.  I get that it added to the chaos, but I would have preferred for it not to be there.

I read a tweet that compared it to music you would have heard on a ride at EPCOT in the 80s.  I don't know that I've ever heard a more apt comparison of two things.  I didn't hate it per say, but I did think it was an odd choice.

[methodwriter85]

I really hated Adam's character but I felt for him. I wonder what happens to the mistress? I doubt the people who know about the bet are going to let her just walk away with 1.2 million dollars. She reminded me of Debi Mazer, who made a career out of playing tough New Yorker chicks.

[benteen]

Saw this film and very much enjoyed it.  The Sadfie brothers really do make you feel the tension of Howard's actions and this film shows you how destructive a gambling addiction can be.  He's almost out of it and decides to double-down on a bet at the last second?  Crazy.

The background music didn't bother me but there is a lot of noise and overlapping dialogue in this film.  I get it, it's to create an uncomfortable atmosphere although it's not always easy to listen through.

Sandler is very good here and can definitely turn it on when he wants too.  The whole cast is impressive, even from cast members who have never been in a movie before like Julia Fox and Kevin Garnett.   

Edited January 13, 2020 by benteen

[kiddo82]

12 hours ago, benteen said:

The background music didn't bother me but there is a lot of noise and overlapping dialogue in this film.  I get it, it's to create an uncomfortable atmosphere although it's not always easy to listen through.

The first scene where we see the door get stuck and Kevin Garnett and his friends are stuck in the vestibule really got to me.  Everyone kept talking over each other and I wanted to yell "Just shut up!  One at a time!" at the screen.  In a situation like that I'm likely to step back unless I really can or need to take charge.  The last thing a situation like that needs is one more voice.  So kudos I guess cause that scene sure had its desired effect on me.

[StatisticalOutlier]

I watched the Film Independent Spirit Awards (always a good time), and Adam Sandler's acceptance speech was so good I rewound and watched it again.  What's not to love about saying that your fellow nominees will now and forever be remembered as losing to "fucking Adam Sandler"?  And calling out a high school classmate who wore a jean jacket and had feathered hair?  It was genius.

And the Safdie Brothers' speech was also brilliant.

 

[xaxat]

I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. (Even though, as a Sixers fan it brought back bad memories.)

Adam Sandler earned the acclaim that he is receiving. And I thought his character was compelling in that you kind of wanted him to pull it of, but with his every successive move you knew he wasn't going to succeed. Lakeith was really good (like he always is). Kevin Garnett was surprisingly good. And Mike Francesa should seek more roles where he essentially plays himself being a different character.

[Browncoat]

I’ll agree that Adam Sandler was very good in this movie, but I thought the movie itself was a chaotic hot mess.  Maybe it was the theater I saw it in, but I could barely hear some of the dialogue over the music, and when 13 people were all talking at the same time, forget it.  I wanted to tell some of them to speak up, too — I felt like they mumbled.  I could have trimmed at least 30 minutes, too, starting with the up close and personal colonoscopy.

I don’t think I liked any of these people.  The only one I could must any sympathy for was the Judd Hirsch character, and only because he let himself be suckered into trying to jack up the price of the stone at auction.

I think the mistress got away with it.  But I also think she’ll blow through the money in about a week, and be right back where she started. Except without a fancy apartment or a job.  

[Sheenieb]

The movie did tension well. Especially in regards to addiction. JUST when Howard could get out clean, he overplays his hand.

One thing I was confused about was his relationship to Eric Bogosian. It was established that Eric was Howard's brother-in-law, but was Eric just a loan shark that hired the two button men, or was he just acting tough? Considering

Spoiler

Eric was shot and killed by the two men who "worked" for him, I'm confused as to what his role was, exactly.

That's the only part of the story I would've liked more clarity about.

[AimingforYoko]

1 hour ago, Sheenieb said:

The movie did tension well. Especially in regards to addiction. JUST when Howard could get out clean, he overplays his hand.

One thing I was confused about was his relationship to Eric Bogosian. It was established that Eric was Howard's brother-in-law, but was Eric just a loan shark that hired the two button men, or was he just acting tough? Considering

  Reveal spoiler

Eric was shot and killed by the two men who "worked" for him, I'm confused as to what his role was, exactly.

That's the only part of the story I would've liked more clarity about.

My guess is that his BIL Arno was just a civilian who loaned Howard money and grew frustrated when Howard kept stiffing him so he went to some wiseguys to collect, probably with a promise of a chunk of the money.

Edited February 21, 2020 by AimingforYoko

[Ohwell]

Since I'm pretty much stuck inside now, I finally watched this movie today.  I thought Adam Sandler was great and Kevin Garnett was a pleasant surprise, too.

I think it was unfortunate that he had to go up against Joaquin Phoenix because any other year, I think Adam Sandler would have won. 

[Dancing Queen]

I liked the movie very much, but I won't ever watch it again.  It was hectic and exhausting and so very sad. 

Howard's gambling addiction was well-portrayed, and his ending felt inevitable.  He couldn't just quit while he was ahead (or just breaking even, like at the almost-end when he had the money he owed in hand).  It was all about the thrill, the rush, for him, and he wanted so desperately to win BIG that he couldn't read the room.  It was completely obvious to the audience (not from bad writing, just simple cause and effect) that the blond guy was just biding his time in the cage, but Howard never anticipated how it would end.

I loved how Arno was so impressed with Howard winning the impossible bet. 

[Ohwell]

1 hour ago, Dancing Queen said:

I liked the movie very much, but I won't ever watch it again.  It was hectic and exhausting and so very sad. 

I won't watch it again either, for those reasons.

When he got shot at the end, my first thought was that he was put out of his misery.

[lasu]

On 3/30/2020 at 7:54 PM, Ohwell said:

I think it was unfortunate that he had to go up against Joaquin Phoenix because any other year, I think Adam Sandler would have won. 

But he didn't actually go up against Phoenix; he wasn't nominated.

[Ohwell]

2 hours ago, lasu said:

But he didn't actually go up against Phoenix; he wasn't nominated.

Yeah, I was thinking of another awards show, I think he won the Independent Spirit Award.  But even if he had been nominated for the Oscar, I still think Phoenix would have won.

[Kel Varnsen]

On 2/20/2020 at 8:42 PM, AimingforYoko said:

My guess is that his BIL Arno was just a civilian who loaned Howard money and grew frustrated when Howard kept stiffing him so he went to some wiseguys to collect, probably with a promise of a chunk of the money.

My read was that the Brother in Law was a loan shark who had goons. The goon who shot Howard was the one goon who realized that Howard would never change and they would never get any money from him, and his boss would never do anything about it because of the family connection. When the boss protested he realized very quickly that he could now become his own boss.

I watched this last night and I was pretty impressed with Sandler. Although after thinking about it it kind of makes sense especially since we have been letting our kids watch a lot of Adam Sandler comedies lately that they may be too young for. I mean the guy has been starring in movies pretty regularly for the past 25 years. And in that time he has worked with some really talented actors (Buchemi, Henry Winkler, John Turturro, Kathy Bates, Kate Beckinsale, Al Pacino). With that much practice doing the same thing with people like that you are bound to improve your skills.

[Inquisitionist]

On 2/19/2020 at 5:09 AM, Browncoat said:

I’ll agree that Adam Sandler was very good in this movie, but I thought the movie itself was a chaotic hot mess.  Maybe it was the theater I saw it in, but I could barely hear some of the dialogue over the music, and when 13 people were all talking at the same time, forget it. 

The sound wasn't any better watching it at home.  I gave up half way through the film.