Uncut Gems Review

These little movies do garner a bit of attention. Surely, the idea of Adam Sandler being in a serious film. The plot of Uncut Gems looks interesting. I was expecting something different in terms of the character. I'm not truly disappointed, but this is an actually decent film.

Sandler is Howard Ratner, a jewelry store owner in New York City. He gets his hands on a rock that came all the way from Ethiopia that has all these gems that are worth potentially millions. One of the driven stories involves Kevin Garnett, who plays himself and wanting it for good luck. This is set in the spring of 2012, so right around the NBA Playoffs. In exchange, the rock for the Celtics championship ring. Things go off the rail for Howard as he owes money to mobsters and is so fixated on gambling, debauchery and other stuff that it affects a lot of his personal life.

Regarding the story, it's not anything completely original, but the characters create the necessary drama to keep the plot moving. Sandler makes Howard insecure, bumbling, frustrated. Tons of personality emotions that parlay into trying to make the most money out of that rock he gets. And no matter how much satisfaction he gets out of certain situations, he has the moments where it goes down the drain within a millisecond.

The cinematography has some great lighting and gets the grittiness of New York City along with some of the nightlife. There's a couple shots of the universe that are zoomed in at first ultra close on a object and goes into the realm of the galaxy. I don't know how to critique the music. There's a sense of retro and modern mixed, but I would argue it works to its advantage rather than being a hindrance.

The supporting cast is solid. I would have two concerns. It is a little over two hours, so bear that in mind. Second, I'm not sure how people will view the ending of it. I was a little surprised, but looking now, I could see it happening. That's what I would wonder if that would ruin or help a person's viewing of it. Sandler did a good job as Howard. Not his best performance, but it is up there. I would at least try to see this in the theater if it's still playing. Small films like these help keep Hollywood on its feet from the overabundance of comic book movies.

Score: 7 out of 10