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randomrichards · 3 years

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BEST MOVIE MOMENTS OF 2020

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

Abe Makes Dinner from ABE

Teen chef protégé Abe (Stranger Thing’s Noah Schnapp) hopes that his dinner blending Israeli and Palestinian dishes will mend a bridge between his Israeli and Palestinian families (as well as his atheist father). But he gets a sad dose of reality when he learns the hard way that a wedge between families can’t always be solved with a meal.

“Wait for It” from HAMILTON

On June 16, 2016, Leslie Odom Jr. surprised many by beating Hamilton star/creator Lin-Manuel Miranda for the Best Actor award at the Tony Awards. And now they understood why thanks to Disney+ presenting the musical. And it all has to do with the song “Wait for It.”

In this soulful musical number, Odom Jr. allows us to understand Aaron Burr’s beliefs in letting fate leads his path. Whether it’s winning the heart of a married woman or watching all his loved ones parish, Burr is willing to wait for destiny to reveal why. It also showcases the contrast between Burr and Hamilton. This song changes Burr from History’s villain to a complicated anti-hero.

10) Deku and Bakugo go full Super Sayan in MY HERO ACADEMIA: HEROES RISING

My Hero Academia always delivers great action scenes and they truly shine in their latest round in the cinema.

In his final battle to protect young brother and sister Mahoro (Tomoyo Kurosawa in Japanese, Dani Chambers in English) and Katsuma (Yuka Terasaki in Japanese, Maxey Whitehead in English) from ruthless power-stealer Nine (Yoshio Inoue in Japanese, Johnny Yong Bosch in English), underdog hero-in-training Izuku “Deku” Midoriya (Daiki Yamashita in Japanese, Justin Briner in English) transfers his “One-For-All” power to hotheaded classmate Bakugo (Nobuhiko Okamoto in Japanese, Clifford Chapin in English). The result is an image of the in super powered form resembling Super Sayans.

When Deku reaches 100% power, the film suddenly turns white then stretches into abstract imagery.

Honestly, the main reason I put this on the list is because it’s pure awesome and I’m not afraid to admit it.

9) A Survivor Model from COLLECTIVE

This documentary follows the reporters of Romanian Newspaper Gazeta Sporturilor as their investigation into the Colective Club fire in Bucharest that killed 27 people and left 180 injured exposed vast health care fraud that caused survivors to die in the hospital and would bring down the government. Another key focus is a survivor who was so badly burned she lost most of her fingers. The camera focuses on her as she watches conferences about the fire.

In a standout moment, she models for photo shoots. In this moment, we see a beautiful woman who refuses to allow her disability to stop her, revealing her power.

8) the Wuhan Flu Song from BORAT SUBSEQUENT MOVIEFILM

Many best scenes of 2020 will focus on the bed scene with Tutar and Rudy Gulianni. But I prefer to focus on the scene where Borat (Sacha Baron Cohen) performs the “Wuhan Flu Song” at a Anti-Masker Rally. Not only is it deliciously cringy and hilarious, but It perfectly captures all of Cohen’s strengths as a comedic performer.

As with Borat’s previous cringy yet catchy “Throw the Jew Down the Well, Cohen uses the Borat persona exposes the ugliest side of America. Watching the Qanon conspiracy theorists cheering on Borat (under the guise of Country Steve) singing about injecting Obama with the Coronavirus horrifies while splitting sides. This moment reveals the dangerous consequences of misinformation and conspiracy theorists on society. Plus, the song is shamelessly catchy as hell.

Add the fact that Cohen was nearly attacked during this scene shows how far he’s willing to go to make a point and get a laugh.

7) The Dinner Scene from LET HIM GO

This scene is a perfect example of how you put subtext in a scene. On the surface, It’s just Weboy matriarch Blanche (Lesley Manville) serving porkchops to her daughter in law Lorna’s(Kayli Carter) former parent in laws Margaret (Diane Lane) and George Blackledge (Kevin Costner). But with the context of Margaret and George trying to deliver Lorna and their grandson from her abusive husband, you can feel the hostility in the atmosphere.

It’s a credit to the actors and their ability to hide their aggression under a mask of southern hospitality. It’s especially true for Manville, who brings to life a woman who is a master of hiding her cruelty under a pleasant smile. She may sound welcoming to them, but you can tell something’s off about her. No wonder she’s able to manipulate the police into siding with her. Hell, many audience will be surprised when they find out she’s British in real life.

Lane matches her every step of the way with the most nuanced jabs.

It won’t get as much appreciation due to it’s unassuming nature. But it’s a perfect scene to show how to bring nuance to a performance.

6) The Restaurant Scene from THE INVISIBLE MAN

At first, it seemed Cecilia (Elizabeth Moss) finally has the drop on her sociopathic control freak ex Adrian (Oliver Jackson-Cohen). After days being tormented by him, Cecilia finally has proof of how he turns invisible. Now she goes to a public restaurant to convince her sister Emily (Harriet Dyer). But then a levitating knife appears out of nowhere and slits Emily’s throat before flying into Cecilia’s hands.

Director Leigh Whannell and cinematographer Stefan Duscio do an excellent job using everyday envirnoments to create a sense of unease. Whenever the camera lingers on a kitchen, you search with anxious eyes for any sign of Adrian. In this case, they use the ambience of a crowded fancy restaurant to create a false sense of security. And yet, you can’t help but wonder if Adrian’s still watching them.

It’s in this scene where title character goes from a good villain to a great villain. Here we see what a cunning monster he truly is. The scene also showcases Moss’s terrific performance as her desperate eyes showcase the complete helplessness she feels in this scenario.

5) Edna sheds her skin in RELIC

Rarely do the words “horror” and “heartbreaking” go together, but that describes the ending to this underrated gem.

Kay (Emily Mortimer) returns to her family home to care for her mother Edna (Robyn Nevin), who seems to be suffering from dementia. Now she and her daughter Sam (Bella Heathcote) find themselves trapped in the crawlspace while fleeing a warped Edna, who has been warped by a supernatural force. With contorted joints and decaying flesh, she has become monstrous. At first it seems they have defeated Edna and are heading out the door.

Then Kay looks back to see her mother lying on the ground, struggling to breath. This brings the film into a unexpected turn as Kay carries the creature that used to be her mother to bed. When Kay peels the skin off Edna’s body to reveal a charcoal skinned, dying creature, the film goes from creepy to heartbreaing. Anyone who ever lost a loved one to dementia will recognize to devastating feeling of watching them fade away right in front of your eyes.

4) The one-take action scene in EXTRACTION

Well, we can’t have a best movie moments of 2020 list without mentioning the 10 minute action sequence from Extraction.

As black market mercenary Tyler Rake (Chris Hemsworth) shields the kidnapped son of a drug lord from other mercenaries, his race across a Bangladesh village delivers all you want from an action movie. Fast paced car chase? Check. Semi-automatic gun battles? Check. Hand to hand combat? Check. Parkour across rooftops? You bet. Sometimes you’ll even get people get hit by cars during hand to hand combat. All of this happens while cinematographer Newton Thomas Sigel makes it look like one take.

Sure, sophisticated viewers will recognize there the cuts are hidden. But when director Sam Hargrave is willing to ride on the hood of a car as it races across dirt roads for the sake of a shot, you can’t help but be impressed

3) Opening Bike Ride from THE CLIMB

The film begins with what sees like a regular bike ride. American Mike (Director and Co-Writer Michael Angelo Covino) and Kyle (Co-Writer Kyle Marvin) are racing across the road of a French mountain before Kyle’s wedding. But then Mike reveals he’s slept with Kyle’s fiancé, resulting in the furious Kyle to chase Mike. Unfortunately, they’re both too exhausted to commit to a long chase.

The whole opening sequence could be its own short film. Covino and cinematographer Zach Kuperstein) shoot it all in one unbroken take, allowing the awkward exchange to flow more naturally. It leads to a hilarious moment when Kyle tries to chase Mike, but neither have the energy to keep going. Plus, it summarizes the reoccuring cycle of the film with Mike becoming increasingly self-destructive and a terrible friend and Kyle being nice until pushed too far.

2) The Ending from UNCUT GEMS

After spending two hours in a state of panic, it looks like the audience will finally breath a sigh of relief. After locking his pissed off brother in law Arlo (Eric Bogosian) and his goons Phil (Keith William Richards) and Nico (Tommy Kominik) in the Jewelry store with him, smooth talking jeweler and gambling addict Howard Ratner (Adam Sandler) makes the biggest win of his life via pinpoint accurate predictions of a basketball game. Now he has millions of dollars; way more than enough to pay off his debt. Everything’s coming up Howard. That is until the furious Phil puts a bullet in Howard’s head and proceeds to rob his store.

With all his reckless behaviour (including putting his girlfriend at risk) and overconfidence, you knew at somehow Howard was going to be punished. But when the flilm cuts to scenes of Howard’s family celebrating the game and his girlfriend leaves with the money, you can’t help but know how bad they’re going to feel when they find Howard dead.

Then the camera zooms into Howard’s bullet wound to reveal the same colourful kaliedescope imagery as shown within the title uncut gems. With Daniel Lopatin’s enchanting new wave score playing, this moment gives the audience a moment to finally relax before closing with Gigi D’Agostino’s L’amour Toujours.

In spite of (or because of) his flaws; Howard is himself an uncut gem.

1) The little things inspire Joe from SOUL

Everyone recognizes “The Pixar Moment”; that scene that elevates a Pixar film from great to extraordinary. No one can truly define it, but it’s the one scene from the film everyone talks about. It’s the ten-minute prologue from Up. It’s Anton Ego’s reaction after trying Remy’s dish in Ratatouille. Even a lesser Pixar film can have this moment; a perfect example is when Lighting McQueen allows Ramirez to race in his place in Cars 3. Now we can add another film to the list thanks to Pixar’s latest masterpiece Soul.

After a day of escaping the afterlife and being trapped in the body of a therapy cat, Joe Gardner’s (Jamie Foxx) has finally achieved his dream of being in a Jazz band. And he feels…nothing. So, he heads back to his piano to ponder his direction in life. Then he finds the items 22 (Tina Fey) collected while in his body. What results is a moment fans will be coming back to in their moment of need.

As Joe rests 22’s items in front of his piano and starts playing, he comes to realize how a pizza crust and a seed truly meant to her. In the process, he comes realize the moments that seemed meaningless at first had some magic in them. The joy of playing for his father. The feel of the ocean waves flowing on his feet. The taste of a café’s pie.

In a time when many people can’t do any major activities, this moment serves as a reminder of to appreciate the little things in life. I imagine many audiences will return to this scene in their lowest moments.

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doomonfilm · 4 years

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Review : Uncut Gems (2019)

Adam Sandler is an interesting actor, to say the least. Most know him for his endless cavalcade of silly movies fueled by base-level humor and cameos from famous friends. For those of us in the know, however, we have seen glimpses of his dramatic chops, where he is able to flip that humor into deep levels of emotional turmoil. That being said, the second that I heard about Sandler connecting with the notorious Safdie brothers, the minds behind the amazing Good Time, I knew that Uncut Gems was a must see movie, at least as far as I was concerned.

Jeweler and degenerate gambler Howard Ratner (Adam Sandler) finds himself involved in hustle after hustle in hopes of alleviating a debt owed to his brother in law Arno (Eric Bogosian). With Arno’s muscle Phil (Keith Williams Richards) and Nico (Tommy Kominik) aggressively intimidating Howard at nearly every turn, Howard finds himself looking for any and all opportunities to clear his name. By chance, Howard’s employee Demany (Lakeith Stanfield), who secures buyers for Howard’s jeweled out necklaces and watches, brings Kevin Garnett (himself) to Howard’s shop to check out jewelry, and during this visit, an extremely rare Ethiopian opal is delivered to the location. In a fit of excitement, Howard shows the rare gem to Garnett, who becomes fascinated with it and asks to hold the gem overnight. Reluctantly, Howard allows it in exchange for Garnett’s Boston Celtics championship ring as collateral, and on a hunch, Howard places a large parlay bet on Garnett for a playoff game that evening. Caught between the needs of his wife Dinah (Idina Menzal) and his mistress Julia (Julia Fox), Howard attempts to stave off a divorce from Dinah while remaining involved with Julia. Howard’s bet lands, but to his dismay, he learns that Arno cancelled the bet due to the fact that it was placed with his money. With Garnett still in possession of the opal, which is scheduled to go into auction, Howard attempts to track down Demany and retrieve the opal in hopes that he will make the money owed during the auction. As the walls start to close in on Howard, he once again tries to play the ends against the middle, with no idea of the scale of danger awaiting him.

Though it may not have been their intent, the Safdie brothers managed to create one of the most unique period films I’ve ever seen. Although the events of the film are placed earlier in this decade, the way that time moves so fast in the Internet era makes it feel like much further in the past. Using Kevin Garnett is a stroke of genius, as the man simply refuses to age, therefore allowing him to match with the actual game footage used during the film. The odd period film nature is further driven home with the inclusion of songs like Kendrick Lamar’s Swimming Pools, the Furby-styled chain showcased early in the film, and the early stages of what we now recognize as modern day fashion and hairstyling, especially when it comes to characters like Demany and his entourage in the club.

The film is also a masterclass in tension building. The elements that cause tension come from every angle : gambling, infidelity, violence, deception and confrontation dance around one another like dust in the wind, with the viewer given little to no time to calm down from one moment before another equally tense moment is presented. The Safdie brothers even manage to introduce the tension that surrounds the gem’s origin by briefly beginning in Ethiopia and showing both the human costs and constant conflicts that come with the mining done in the region. Sandler carries the viewer through his experience as a sad excuse for a protagonist who can’t seem to get out of his own way, leaving us feeling like we are flying by the seat of our pants just like his character is, causing us to feel scared (and subsequently feel relief) from event to event, and keep us on the edge of our seat until the conclusion of the film.

While much of the tension is courtesy of the acting and the narrative, the Safdie brothers do manage to use their camera in ways that create tension as well, with the camera moving like a passerby curious about potential craziness that may or may not pop off at any given moment. The streak of amazing score work continues as well, with their use of synths, short stings and varied tones coming off like an edgy version of John Carpenter’s work. The zooms into the gems, as well as the mirroring zooms into Sandler, are fascinating bits of special effects work for directors not necessarily known for using special effects. The twists and turns of the narrative, as well as the natural ups and downs that come with the placed bets (even if basketball fans know the outcome of the games presented), are an emotional rollercoaster for the viewer, and last right up until the shocking and unexpected ending. Much like Good Time, the Safdie brothers use New York as an uncredited character more so than a location, this time lingering mostly in the Diamond District and parts of the city rather than the signature seedy aesthetic that is generally tied to New York. Jewish culture is presented with equal parts respect and jest, which preemptively helps to ease us into the world of the jewelers that make up much of the film’s population.

Adam Sandler completely steps outside of himself for this role, properly displaying all of the manic nature and hustler ethos of a man playing with fire and hoping he does not get burned before he hits big. Julia Fox plays a bit of a singular role as the mistress, with her undying love for the Howard character standing in opposition to the resentment that Idina Menzal displays for the same character. Eric Bogosian shows the sinister characteristics of a loan shark, but combines this with the familial concern of a brother, be it an in law or not, that keeps him from truly hurting Howard. In contrast, Keith Williams Richards and Tommy Kominik play the heavies to a T, with their intimidating nature blasting off of the screen. Lakeith Stanfield displays a similar hustling nature to Sandler, but to a lesser extent due to his character’s positional tier, although he does not allow himself to be pushed around. Amazingly, Kevin Garnett manages to show dynamic range while playing himself, reeling in some of his unpolished upfrontness and allowing himself to show fascination, vulnerability and true sadness. Guest appearances by Judd Hirsch, The Weeknd, Mike Francesca and a small cameo from John Amos round out the stellar cast.

Leave it to the Safdie brothers to wait until less than a week is left in 2019 to drop a strong contender for film of the year. I was already a diehard fan of the brothers who preaches the word of Good Time every chance I get, and with Uncut Gems making an arrival to Netflix this January, I imagine that I will be championing this film just as much.

#ChiefDoomsday #DOOMonFILM #JoshSafdie #BennySafdie #UncutGems #AdamSandler #KevinGarnett #IdinaMenzal #LakeithStanfield #JuliaFox #EricBogosian #TheWeeknd #PalomaElsesser #JuddHirsch #MikeFrancesca #NoahFisher #PomKlementieff #KeithWilliamsRichards #TommyKominik

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popentertainment-moviereviews · 4 years

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UNCUT GEMS (2019)

Starring Adam Sandler, Julia Fox, LaKeith Stanfield, Kevin Garnett, Idina Menzel, Eric Bogosian, Judd Hirsch, Keith Williams Richards, Mike Francesa, Jonathan Aranbayev, Noa Fisher, Abel Tesfaye, Jacob Igielski, Paloma Elsesser, Tommy Kominik, Louis Anthony Arias, Benjy Kleiner, Josh Ostrovsky, Sahar Bibiyan, Lana Levitin, Pom Klementieff, John Amos and The Weeknd.

Screenplay by Ronald Bronstein and Josh Safdie & Benny Safdie.

Directed by Josh and Benny Safdie.

Distributed by A24. 135 minutes. Rated R.

I can’t believe I fell for it again.

Every few years, you start to hear the buzz: Adam Sandler is collaborating with some real filmmakers and taking on a serious dramatic role. Sure, his comedies mostly suck, but this role will be a revelation.

However, it never seems to turn out that way. Punch-Drunk Love was an oddball bore. Spanglish wasn’t a bad film, but Sandler was the weak link in an otherwise decent film. Funny People was nearly unbearable, as was Men, Women & Children. I have never seen Reign Over Me, and I can pretty safely say that I never will.

Which brings us to Uncut Gems. I must admit that had some concerns when I went into the screening, knowing my history with Adam Sandler films. However, I also had some cautious optimism because I had read a bit about the film and the storyline sounded interesting, and it seemed like Sandler was really trying to stretch out in the role.

Boy, was I wrong! I can’t tell you how much I hated Uncut Gems, and it mostly directly stemmed from Sandler and his character.

It turned out that Howard Ratner is the epitome of a Sandler character: a brash, immature, compulsive, abrasive asshole. He’s the type of person that you would cross the street to avoid running into. Hell, he’s the type of person that you would cross the country to avoid. Even his name points out what a rodent he is.

In the one scene that I truly related to in Uncut Gems, his wife – played by Idina Menzel – told Howard, “You are the most annoying person on the planet. I hate you.” Hallelujah, Mrs. Ratner.

Ratner is a fast-talking New York Jeweler’s Row bottom feeder and compulsive gambler always looking for an angle; selling phony Rolexes, pawning his customer’s jewelry, while he avoids his loan-shark’s leg breakers. (Irony alert, his frustrated loan shark – played by Eric Bogosian – is his brother-in law.)

Any money he comes across he gambles away. Any customer he befriends he tries to cheat. He aggressively courts celebrities and sports figures. Former Boston Celtic star Kevin Garnett has a significant role playing himself, for some reason spending lots of time in New York despite being in the middle of a fictional Boston-Philadelphia national championship series.

And you know what? Howard is such a massive dick that the audience can’t help but think that he deserves all the crap that happens to him. More to the point, his gambling addiction, his amorality and his complete lack of sense leads directly to every huge setback that he lives through.

It is not impossible to make a film about an unlikable protagonist. In many ways, the role of Howard is very reminiscent of James Caan’s character in the mid-70s cult film The Gambler. However, no matter how big of a jerk Caan was playing, you could find some sympathy for him and he was a somewhat charismatic loser.

It is impossible to feel any sympathy for Howard. The audience is silently rooting for his every get-rich-quick scheme to fail and for every character who crosses his path to punch him in the face.

That’s it. I’m drawing the line. I will never again fall for the myth that Adam Sandler has the ability to be a subtle, intense, slow-burn dramatic actor. At least with his comedies – which are mostly straight-to-Netflix at this point – you know what you are getting. It will be bad, Rob Schneider will show up at some point, and you will have completely forgotten it by the time you wake up the next morning.

His dramatic roles are somehow much more disappointing because you have been led to believe there will be some quality work done here, and when it inevitably is absent you can’t help but feel hoodwinked. You know Albert Einstein’s old axiom: the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again but expecting a different result. I’m no longer going to allow Adam Sandler to drive me insane.

Jay S. Jacobs

#Uncut Gems #2019 #Movie Reviews #Adam Sandler #Jay S. Jacobs

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whileiamdying · 5 years

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youtube

On October 3, Josh and Benny Safdie and cast brought Uncut Gems home at the 57th New York Film Festival secret screening premiere. The red carpet featured Adam Sandler, Kevin Garnett, Ronnie Bronstein, Julia Fox, Eric Bogosian, Judd Hirsch, Wayne Diamond, Mike Francesa, Noa Fisher, Keith Williams Richards, Tommy Kominik, and more, followed by the New York premiere screening, which thoroughly thrilled the sold-out crowd in Alice Tully Hall. On the heels of their propulsive Good Time, the Safdie Brothers raise their game with another unhinged New York odyssey coasting on the sweaty highs and lows of a hapless protagonist and the frenetic pace of a city spinning out of control. In a rapid-fire, revelatory performance, Adam Sandler is Howard, a diamond dealer whose life is reaching a crescendo of manic desperation: his relationship with his wife (Idina Menzel) is imploding; he owes a hefty chunk of money to angry racketeers; and he’s getting in over his head in an ever escalating scheme to make a fortune by selling an Ethiopian diamond to Boston Celtics forward Kevin Garnett (playing himself in a terrific dramatic acting debut). Nothing goes as planned, of course, and that’s the fun and the terror of this wild ride that pushes viewers to the breaking point of pleasurable anxiety. A24 will release the film on December 13th in select cities and nationwide on Christmas Day. A centerpiece of New York culture since 1963, the New York Film Festival will introduce the most essential new cinematic works from around the world to U.S. audiences in its Main Slate. NYFF will also continue to feature a variety of titles in different sections and sidebars, including Spotlight on Documentary, newly rejuvenated classics in Restorations and Revivals, a diverse selection of international and locally made Shorts, the ever-expanding experimental showcase Projections, and the immersive storytelling experiences of the cutting-edge Convergence. Additionally, there will be an exciting lineup of special events, free filmmaker talks and panel discussions, and the latest editions of our annual Industry and Critic Academies. Follow NYFF for updates: Twitter: https://twitter.com/thenyff Instagram: https://instagram.com/thenyff Facebook: https://facebook.com/nyfilmfest Newsletter: https://filmlinc.org/news Film at Lincoln Center is dedicated to supporting the art and elevating the craft of cinema and enriching film culture. Film at Lincoln Center fulfills its mission through the programming of festivals, series, retrospectives, and new releases; the publication of Film Comment; the presentation of podcasts, talks, and special events; the creation and implementation of Artist Initiatives; and our Film in Education curriculum and screenings. Since its founding in 1969, this nonprofit organization has brought the celebration of American and international film to the world-renowned arts complex Lincoln Center, making the discussion and appreciation of cinema accessible to a broad audience, and ensuring that it remains an essential art form for years to come. More info: http://filmlinc.org/ Subscribe: http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=filmlincdotcom Like: http://facebook.com/filmlinc Follow: http://twitter.com/filmlinc

#IFTTT #YouTube #Film Society of the Lincoln Center #in English

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jillmckenzie1 · 4 years

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Pressure Drop

As many of us do, the arrival of the year’s end is a time for me to look back. If I were to sum it up, 2019 was all about surprise. Putting aside the absolute insanity of our politics, the year in film has been wild as hell. We saw both the Star Wars and MCU franchises come to a temporary end. We saw films about cathartic cults, flicks involving doppelgangers, and a number of movies examining class warfare. Perhaps strangest of all, we saw one of the best performances of the year delivered by Adam Sandler.

Maybe it’s not so strange, though! I’ll grant you that a cursory look through Sandler’s filmography is dire, to say the least. The majority of his films are bro-ey comedies where he’s doing little more than dicking around with his friends and getting paid for it. I generally don’t begrudge people enjoying a thing, and I’ve read numerous times that Sandler is a genuinely good dude. The sad fact is that his comedies aren’t for me.

It doesn’t matter if they’re for me, because his movies have made billions at the box office. Quite a lot of people love his comedy, and in order to be a successful comedian, you’ve got to have a keen understanding of human behavior. Sandler might play the fool, but he’s far from an idiot. He pays attention and files those little behavioral tics away for later. Once in a while, he’ll even explore the dark side.

Along with his comedies, he’s played a jaded movie star in Funny People, a man annihilated by 9/11 in Reign Over Me, and a desperately lonely entrepreneur in Punch-Drunk Love. When Sandler has the right material — and I’m not kidding here — he can not only hold his own against anyone, but he can also deliver acting that’s skilled and nuanced. Sandler continues to prove that with his bravura performance in the new film Uncut Gems. It’s by no means a film for everyone, but those attuned to its panicky rhythms won’t forget it.

Some people experience addiction through their struggles with drugs or alcohol. Howard Ratner (Adam Sandler) is a little different. There’s a great yawning void inside him that he fills with near-constant chaos. How did he get to that point? We’re never told outright, but brief asides tell us everything we need to know about his likely beginnings and probable end.

Howard operates a store in the midst of Manhattan’s Diamond District. It’s small, claustrophobic, and the dual security entrances give Howard a much-needed buffer between himself and whatever likely pissed-off person he’s dealing with. He’s constantly hustling, and his associate Demany lures in potential clients for wildly overpriced sales. Surrounded by valuable stones, Howard yearns for the deal that will push him over the top.

The acquisition of a black opal from Ethiopia might be the deal he’s waiting for. Sure, Howard feels a connection to it due to the Ethiopian Jews who unearthed it. His larger connection is the upcoming auction of the black opal and its potential value of over one million dollars. Making the deal even sweeter is the arrival of basketball player Kevin Garnett, who sees the opal and is bewitched by it. He asks Howard if he can “hold onto it” for luck at that evening’s game and offers his blinged-out championship ring for collateral. Howard says yes, and this is only the first of many, many poor decisions he’ll make.

You’d think that would be stressful enough for Howard, yet he immediately pawns Kevin’s ring, then takes the money and places a ridiculously big bet on the game. This gets the attention of his brother-in-law and loan shark Arno (Eric Bogosian), to whom he owes a lot of money. He’s accompanied by Phil (Keith Williams Richards) and Nico (Tommy Kominik), two legbreakers who would happily kick Howard’s ass up and down the street. There’s also Howard’s wife Dinah (Idina Menzel), who views him as a loudmouthed joke, and his girlfriend Julia (Julia Fox), who has her own struggles.

In the past, we’ve talked about the twin mistakes filmgoers sometimes make with 1) assuming that the main character of a film should be likable and 2) assuming that a film should be enjoyable. That is nowhere close to correct here, and while Uncut Gems is a hell of a good movie, it’s also a two-hour panic attack of a film that follows around an unrepentant scumbag. Trust me, you won’t be bounding out of the theater with a spring in your step.

Benny Safdie and Josh Safdie have directed a grimy and explosive film that would be right at home in a Times Square theater in the 1970s. Set in a New York City thoroughly scrubbed clean by gentrification, the Safdies specialize in digging between the cracks and showing us the desperate people who view every day as a battle. It’s that desperation that fuels the film, and their pacing is relentless. Layered on top is a pulsing synth-based soundtrack by experimental electronic musician Oneohtrix Point Never. He creates a constant environment of unease, never quite allowing viewers to settle in and relax.

Written by the Safdies and Ronald Bronstein, the screenplay is a marvel on several fronts. First, it excels at dropping us into the pure chaos of Howard’s world and revealing character through action. We stick with Howard’s point of view throughout, yet time is always taken to show people reacting to him with bemusement, annoyance, contempt, and rage. The script also understands that, regardless of what a person is addicted to, addiction is a black hole that cannot be filled. That’s the point of addiction, and the screenplay never moralizes and treats Howard as a cautionary tale. We’re dropped into his shoes and taken for the ride, whether we like it or not.

What makes the ride bearable is a lead actor that’s innately likable. Not everybody in film has that warmth, and while I’m a great admirer of Edward Norton’s skill as an actor, he often comes off as cold. If he had played Howard, the movie would have been a nightmare. Adam Sandler’s charisma helps to draw us in, and we worry about the end result of his poor decisions. Howard is a perpetual motion machine, always moving, talking, plotting. He lives on the edge, and he’s driven by delusional goals. Sandler has the fanatic’s gleam in his eye, and he always knows when to crank it up or throttle it back depending on the situation. It’s a performance of enormous skill and discipline that deserves recognition.

Uncut Gems is very much a Your-Mileage-May-Vary kind of film. The Safdie Brothers have zero interest in making a crowd-pleaser. Their artistic ambitions are highly specific, and the kinds of people that adore Adam Sandler movies like Billy Madison and The Wedding Singer will positively despise his newest film. That’s fine since real art has a distinctive point of view and the courage to stand by it. Uncut Gems.is art and it’s one of the best films of the year.

from Blog https://ondenver.com/pressure-drop/

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letterboxd-loggd · 4 years

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Uncut Gems (2019) Josh Safdie and Benny Safdie

December 29th 2019

#uncut gems #2019 #josh safdie #benny safdie #adam sandler #julia fox #kevin garnett #idina menzel #eric bogosian #keith williams richards #tommy kominik #judd hirsch

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chicagoindiecritics · 4 years

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New Review from Jeff York of Creative Screenwriting Magazine: “Uncut Gems” Makes for a Tense and Tumultuous Character Study

There are many outstanding qualities to the new film Uncut Gems. It’s a vivid character study that stars Adam Sandler in his best screen performance to date. The dialogue, written by its directors, Benny Safdie and Josh Safdie, along with Ronald Bronstein, has a blunt and profane New York City honesty to it – the kind of patter rarely heard on the big or small screen these days. The film’s camera work and editing are some of the best of the year, drawing you in with its kinetic energy. The film also pins you to your seat with tension that most thrillers and horror movies would be lucky to claim. It’s a tumultuous filmgoing experience, one that throttles you and utterly wrings you out.

What makes it so tumultuous? For starters, the story’s lead character is living a life of utter chaos. It’s difficult to like someone as irritating, loud, immature, and aggressive as Howard Ratner (Sandler), but he’s our protagonist. He’s also one of the most self-destructive characters at the core of a film in quite some time and it asks a lot of us to invest in his ruinous shenanigans.

Adam Sandler

You might have to go back to 2008 when Mickey Rourke played Randy “The Ram” Robinson in The Wrestler to find a lead character as demonstrably pathetic. At least Rourke’s pugilist was just trying to pay rent and put food on his table, but Sandler’s Ratner lives a tony life and should have it made. He makes an extraordinarily good living as a New York City jeweler who caters to an elite clientele of upscale Manhattanites and celebrities. Unfortunately, Ratner’s unable to count his blessings so the man desperately chases more and more pleasures. He cheats on his wife, is a gambling addict, and gets off rubbing shoulders with punks and gangsters. Every moment of his life is a frenzied mix of buying, selling, worrying, deceiving, and working overtime to keep from being flattened by a host of enemies.

It’s hard to care about someone who endangers everyone in his orbit too, but that’s what Ratner does. And throughout this R-rated, two-hour and 15-minute film, we must watch Ratner risk his business time and time again, not to mention the lives of his family, his employees, and himself. Ratner makes horrible, disastrous choices at every turn. He’s a first-class schmuck, and that’s being kind.

Kevin Garnett

His main loan shark Arno (Eric Bogosian) who comes-a-calling is a relative, but that doesn’t prevent him from having his goons Phi (Keith Williams Richards) and Nico (Tommy Kominik) rough Ratner up. (The film’s poster highlights his busted, bloodied nose, courtesy of those two thugs.) Equally rough is Ratner’s relationship with his unforgiving, ex-wife Dinah. Played by Idina Menzel (Frozen), she’s a high-strung character unwilling to let anything go. She finds her former husband’s tendency to sleep with his employees especially egregious, and indeed, Ratner is currently mixing business and pleasure with Julia (Julia Fox), a comely sales clerk in his shop.

Ratner runs from one problem to the next like a whirling dervish, running a gamut of emotions along the way, and he foolishly thinks he can clear up all his problems with the sale of a new item he’s just bought. It’s a chunk of rock from Africa, chock full of rainbow-colored opals. He believes in their supposed spiritual powers too and is more than happy to show it off to his untrustworthy colleagues and customers. Particularly smitten is Boston Celtics star Kevin Garnett, playing himself, a potential buyer who believes the stones could be a good luck charm that will help him achieve victory in the NBA finals.

Idina Menzel

Because he’s such a star f**ker, Ratner allows Garnett to “borrow” the rock for the championship. So Ratner lets his investment walk right out of the store, giving him one more thing to worry about. Of course, the gems help Garnett win, making him all the more hesitant to return it. Even Ratner’s go-between Demany (LaKeith Stanfield) doesn’t do his part to secure his boss’ investment. His underling is too busy hobnobbing with the Celtic’s entourage to do his job. In Ratner’s world, everyone gets caught up in the glitter.

The Safdie brothers skate on thin ice throughout their film, asking us to cheer for such a man-child like Ratner. They ask us to care for a fool who makes one dunderheaded decision after another, but that’s where their genius in casting Sandler comes in. The veteran comic knows just how to make all of his character’s awfulness play as quite funny, and we can’t help but root for him when he’s tickling our funnybone. It’s one of the year’s best performances as Sander makes all of Ratner’s crazy immaturity into something almost lovable. Almost.

Perhaps he’s an uncut gem himself, but as Ratner’s schemes bring more peril, the story changes from an edgy comedy into a terrifying thriller. The last 15 minutes of the film will have you sweating as much as Ratner does while he tries to pull off his biggest bet yet. It’s a harrowing scene, but one that gives the film an unforgettable and just ending.

Uncut Gems is a fascinating character study, one that challenges the resolve of an audience’s empathy. It may confound and even anger some viewers, but the Safdie brothers know what they’re doing. They want their gripping story to put us between a rock and a hard place and make us squirm, just like their protagonist. And like a sure thing, that bet pays off in spades.

Check out the trailer for Uncut Gems below:

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