Uncut Gems (2019) - REVIEW
"This is how I win."
The Safdie Brothers are already defining themselves as true auteurs in current day; not a lot can say that but in many ways – auteur cinema is on the rise again. People want to watch artists they are comfortable with knowing their style, whether it be their themes, editing, cinematography, etc. And what The Safdie Brothers have proven to be absolutely tremendously skilled at is making the viewer feel uncomfortable inside and out. I consider all great horror movies to be, first and foremost, a “thriller.” And on that standard, their movies (at least recently) are absolutely terrifying – hysteria and all.
Uncut Gems is one hell of a film. Nonstop energy and a career-defining performance from Sandler grounds the Safdie Brothers as one of the most unique voices in the industry today. The frantic editing and overbearing sound design allows the film to truly tell the story it wants to tell; it sucks you right in. Though it may feel repetitive at times, and seemingly knowingly so, the impact nonetheless sticks thanks to its considerable amount of focus amongst the chaos.
Adam Sandler is a great actor and that is a hill I am willing to die on. The projects he usually chooses, however, I cannot say the same for. Ever since Paul Thomas Anderson’s Punch-Drunk Love, I have been waiting for Sandler to take on a darker role once more. He is great Noah Baumbach’s The Meyerowitz Stories but this is the performance I have always been waiting for. Along with The Safdies’ unnerving direction, Uncut Gems delivers all the way. The way the Safdies really put you in the mentality of our protagonist through the editing, sound design, and cinematography make the characters “pop” even more; much like Robert Pattinson in last year’s spectacular Good Time. The film is incredibly claustrophobic and the sheer amount of close-up will leave film professors in an outrage all across the nation. But in many ways, that’s what makes this film work; it is absolutely unique to the Safdie brand. There are a lot of great performances in this film; Julia Fox, Idina Menzel, Lakeith Stanfield, and even Kevin Garnett. With this being Fox’s first feature length debut, this is the start of a very promising career since she was such an integral part of the film I was not expecting at all; and she did a fantastic job. Kevin Garnett also was a surprisingly great part of this film and if someone didn’t know any better, one would think acting was his primary profession.
Another great aspect to commend is that the trailer gave absolutely nothing away about the plot of this film. Every moment, to me, was an absolute surprise and pleasure to watch from the beautiful psychedelic opening with a haunting synth score in the background all the way to exploring the chaos of Howard’s (Sandler) family life. There’s a lot of passion that went in to this and it is completely apparent; the fact that Benny Safdie co-edited this should say enough. This is one of those screenplays that would absolutely fall apart if were in the hands of less competent and focused artists. And I think, along with the stylized direction, the core of this comes from their treatment of their characters; though they may be trying to achieve one goal, they are definitely not one-sided. Howard is an addict; not one that has lost his way completely but we are invited to see the downfall into his inevitable demise. It plays out a lot like Good Time in many ways – though I don’t think it ever reaches the same level in terms of stakes; however it is definitely trying to make it so. Daniel Lopatin’s electronic score adds another level of grime to the film; one that reminded me of hearing DISASTERPEACE’s stunning score for the first time ever in It Follows. It is eery and helps settle into that unique tone the Safdie Brothers seem to be going for.
Uncut Gems is a chaotic ride that you most definitely want to witness for yourself. It’s one of those movies, like the Safdies are becoming known for now, that will definitely make you feel uneasy. If you’re into that kind of stuff. I most certainly am. So if you don’t mind losing your head a little bit alongside the stars onscreen, Uncut Gems is seriously one Good F*cking Time.
