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Forrest, Conan Neutron, J. Andrew World and Kristina Oakes dive in to the Safdie Brothers populist favorite from 2019, Uncut Gems. Every Safdie Brothers movie is paced like they’re trying to give someone in the audience a stroke. Let’s not kid ourselves friends, this film is essentially bottled anxiety in film form. Perhaps even more so than Good Time?
Truly and deeply enjoyable and completely and utterly stressful at the same time.
Rates accurately, or even… underrated?
Adam Sandler delivers in a way that transcends anything he’s done before as Howard Ratner. Sorry to report to all haters, but Sandler is absolutely remarkable in it, career best performance. He’s narcissistic, self-destructive, greedy and wholly unlikable and yet when he says “this is how I win” you want him to triumph despite himself. Yet, no Oscar nomination. Our theory is most of the Academy didn’t even watch it. They just assumed they knew what it was.
Kevin Garnett being central to the story is great. Stanfield’s Demany is Howard’s bridge into the world of basketball and the Diamond District is notorious for being a nexus point for all of these subcultures.
Speaking of Diamonds, GREAT usage of NYC “that guy” character Wayne Diamond in this too as the helicopter pilot.
Everyone in this movie is smeared with a layer of pathetic sadness that you want to shower off by the end. Julia Fox definitely steals the show too. Anyway, as stressful as this one is we think history will remember it fondly. Just as we will never forget Julia Fox saying: “Uncut Jaaaaaammz”