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could ultimately decide his fate in the future.This decision
defines Howard as a person and how he ultimately leaves every
crucial decision in his life down to chance. Stalling Howard from
this is Nba player Kevin Garnett playing himself, who becomes
convinced that the stone will give him good luck on the basketball
court. So, Howard sees this as an opportunity to gain a
potential buyer. He then proceeds to loan him the gem hoping
that Garnett’s superstition will tempt him to buy it at the auction.
Also a duo of gangster henchmen, family issues and many
other obstacles of different severity that all culminate together
to create a whirlwind of a story.
UNCUT GEMS (2020)
Cast:
• Adam Sandler
• Julia Fox
• LaKeith Stanfield
• Idina Menzel
• Kevin Garnett
• Eric Bogosian
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Director: Josh Safdie and Benny Safdie
If you are expecting the usual goofy Adam Sandler norm then
forget this movie. This is a hide behind your hands, shouting at
the screen film which casts him in a totally different light and
more importantly as a serious actor.
He provides a career best performance which differentiates far
from any previous roles in his mainly comedy based past. This
exhilarating crime thriller sees him portray a New York jeweller
named Howard Ratner who owns a shop in the Manhattan Jewel
district. Howard is a hustler who consistently gets himself into
diabolical situations. This is due to his eagerness to be two steps
ahead of the people causing all the chaos in his life and always
looking for the next big score. These situations are all based
around an opum gem that he purchases with intent to auction
it off. The gem is valued at 1 million dollars, which he has been
quoted from a third party organisation. He takes a chance on
this quote even though his reliance on the profit off the gem
Previously, the film industry has been blessed with great sibling
directors and this looks to be the case with the Safdie brothers.
Who have masterfully created this story by providing the
audience with a constant overflow of stress and anxiousness
throughout the movie. As you follow Howard through this rollercoaster
journey and it also shares similarities to their previous
Netflix film Good Time, which also has the films main character
running frantically around New york getting himself into various
predicaments, due to his own bad life choices. Daniel Lopatins
provides a mesmerizing electric score to make you feel even
more anxious than you already are, you also have the mystery
of not knowing what is going to happen next which keeps you
alert and on the edge of your seat whilst viewing. It gives you
the conflicting feelings of one minute shouting at the screen
‘no don’t do that’ to next being on board with every decision he
makes, because even though it’s such a wild ride there seems to
be somehow logic and control behind each situation, thanks to
the great persuasive acting by Adam Sandler, this creates a love
hate relationship with Howard and leaves you not knowing how
you wish Howards story to end.
Without giving too much away, this is a must see movie especially
if you are a Sandler follower, if only to see him in a
completely different light from the likes of Grown Ups 2 and
Bedtime Stories. If you are an ardent fan and can not wait to see
the release of this film on Netflix on 31st January 2020 it is also
being shown at various cinemas across the UK now.
Photo by the official website
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