Uncut Gems: Sandler Stuns and Stresses

Rating: 7.3/10

Uncut Gems surprises with an unusually deep character for Adam Sandler, while the film simultaneously thrills and stresses its audience.

Highlights: 

• Sandler surprises with his character

• Cool music

• Length of 135 minutes goes quickly

Lowlights: 

• Sandler is, in general, annoying

• Very chaotic and stressful

• Can be difficult to catch familial connections

In an atypical role for Sandler, he stars as a gambling-addicted jewelry salesman who chases the profit from an expensive stone he has obtained. Though the film is either thrilling or stressful depending on your perspective, it's refreshing to see Sandler step away from his typical funny-guy character to portray Howard Ratner. The eerie, synth-ridden music and the intro and outro of gem close-ups successfully worked together to frame the story as quirky and original, adding character to the film. I wonder, however, where the metaphor of the uncut gem (as there must be one) plays out. Is Sandler the uncut gem, with the potential to be a successful business man and husband if not for his gambling addiction, or is it only to the valuable Ethiopian stone that the title refers to?

Did you watch the movie? Do you want more? Check out Good Time, starring Robert Pattinson and Benny Safdie. Directed by the same brothers as Uncut Gems, Josh and Benny Safdie, Good Time is a highly rated crime thriller telling the story of brothers Connie (Pattinson) and Nick (Safdie).

Watch the trailer!