Uncut Gems Review: The Safdie Brothers’ Crown Jewel
A24
There’s very few wide shots in Uncut Gems, the latest offering from New York grime drama specialists the Safdie Brothers. As if the entire film is shot from the perspective of a jeweler’s loupe - the little magnification lens used to hone in on any possible flaws a jewel may have. While you won’t find a flaw in the film, the film itself is very much about flaws. Particularly the personal flaws and moral failings of one Diamond District sleaze bag named Howard Ratner, played beautifully by Adam Sandler.
There’s a colonoscopy scene early on in the film, and it’s hard not to catch the symbolism. Gems, at its core, is a character study that essentially mines the depths of an asshole. Both figuratively, and literally.
The claustrophobic cinematography only adds to the erratic, anxiety-producing nature of the story itself. Everything is in fast forward. The spitfire dialogue moves at break neck speed, most of it delivered via yells and characters talking over other characters, the calamity and overall pacing are disorienting at times, and there’s rarely a moment to catch your breath. It’s like if Mad Max: Fury Road was shot in Midtown Manhattan.
Anyone who’s a true New Yorker will recognize the cast of characters immediately. The people depicted in this film absolutely exist in real life, so credit to the Safdie Brothers for their continued flex of making some of the most realistic New York-based crime dramas in cinema history.
They knocked it out of the park with 2017’s Good Time, as far as capturing the essence of the “real” New York goes; but being that the lead in Gems is an actual New Yorker - it adds an extra wrinkle and sense of authenticity to the film.
No one else could play this role as effectively as Sandler, who has already been nominated for several awards for this role, and it wouldn’t surprise me if he nabbed himself a Best Actor nom at the Academy Awards.
The plot is explained pretty clearly in the trailer, so there shouldn’t be any confusion as to what this film is about. A low life jeweler makes one gamble too many, pisses off the wrong people, and hilarity ensues. Well, maybe not so much “hilarity,” as much as it is adrenaline-pumping tragedy, but you get the point.
Sandler’s Ratner is a guppy in a shark tank, and his arrogance, coupled with his weaselly nature, lead him to believe he can stare said sharks in the face and talk himself out of being eaten. His emotional highs lead to physical lows, and through it all, he convinces himself and those around him that everything is under control. The cinematic embodiment of the “This is fine” meme.
While the Safdie Brothers may not have broken any new ground regarding plot points, the raw nature and sheer velocity of Gems more than makes up for that. The film is a relentless, tragic, unsettling, and beautiful spectacle, all at once. Like the opal at the heart of the story, it’s a dizzying array of colors and textures, occurring simultaneously - and like an actual uncut gem, it sure is pretty to look at.