This movie has been in the works for over ten years. The Safdie brothers (Benny and Josh) who wrote and directed the film always envisioned Adam Sandler for the leading role of Howard Ratner. Both brothers campaigned many times for him to play this part and it wasn’t until he saw the Safdie’s film Good Time in 2017 that convinced Sandler to do the movie.
You can tell how much this screenplay means to the Safdie’s. They have written over 100 versions of the script and sometimes that can be a really bad thing, but in this case I really do believe that it helped refine the dialogue to seem more realistic. Some people who have seen and reviewed this movie talk about the anxiety that it gives them while watching and while I think this is true I also think that it was intended to give you that feeling because of the position that Sandler’s character was in. Howard is in debt to a lot of people and is always making risky moves and deals just to stay afloat. I’m really glad that the Safdie’s lobbied for Sandler to play this role because he kills it, he absolutely kills it. This is his best performance of his career in my opinion and it’s not even close. That is partly because most of the roles he’s played is more comedic and has the trademark Sandler humor. This is a complete deviation from that. Sure there’s plenty of humor in the film, but it’s a different kind of comedy than a regular Adam Sandler film. Granted, I enjoy many of his films like Happy Gilmore, Big Daddy, and Grown Ups but sometimes his humor can be a little too much at times. Uncut Gems is a different project than Sandler is used to, and you can tell that he took this role very seriously and gave it everything he had.
The supporting cast alongside Sandler also gave very good performances. A few to note were Julia Fox, Idina Menzel, and Kevin Garnett. First let’s start with Julia Fox who plays the character Julia. This was Fox’s first feature film. She’s been friends with the Safdie’s for years and they’ve always talked about her playing this role, even though she hadn’t acted before. Of course Fox had to audition with plenty of other actresses, but ultimately she got the part and does a really nice job in the film. Fox attributed the success in her role partly because she said the part was written very much like who she was in real life. Next, Idina Menzel also shares good screen time as she plays Howard’s wife. She has a couple really good scenes as a result of the actions of Howard gambling and risky moves. She does a really good job of selling this role of a wife who has to deal with an absent husband. Kevin Garnett does a really good job in his role of playing himself. In interviews, Garnett has said the Safdie’s instructed him to say the lines like he would have said it, much like Julia Fox’s approach. This is why the dialogue feels real, because it would be what the actors would say in real life situations. Also, LaKeith Stanfield is in this film. It seems like this guy is in everything now and I love it because he can really act and deserves all the opportunities he gets.
A fun little tidbit that I thought was interesting was that the Safdie’s used real footage of basketball games from the 2012 playoff series between the Sixers and Celtics and because Sandler’s character bets on the game, it creates a real feeling having him react to what happens.
The Safdie's work with the camera during each scene really builds tension and adds to the anxiety that each character is facing. They do a lot of close ups and panning shots that are long takes which can sometimes drag a little bit, but I appreciate the effort they put in because sometimes long takes are hard to accomplish.
Many people are going to wonder if Sandler deserves to be nominated for an Oscar? Honestly I don’t think he will but I think it would definitely generate buzz if he did. There’s definitely been better performances this year, specifically Joaquin Phoenix (Joker) and Adam Driver (Marriage Story), but if the Sandman gets nominated I’d be really happy for him even though I think there’s no chance he wins.
Overall, this movie was well written with realistic dialogue. Initially getting used to the fast paced frantic lines was a bit of a struggle, but once you settle into the film you start to realize that’s the point. The characters are handled so well by the Safdie’s and I think the ending for all of them is justified and makes sense. If you haven’t seen this film, I recommend you go and make your own opinion, especially if you’re a fan of Adam Sandler and want to see him do something different. I thoroughly enjoyed my experience with this film and can’t wait to see what the Safdie’s do next.
Score: 4.3 out of 5