A charismatic jeweler gets into over his head with loansharks and must retrieve an expensive gem in order to pay off his debts.
Ok. Let us get this straight. I have never been an Adam Sandler fan. His films are horrendous and I am just about sure that he was doing it on purpose. However, after this film, he deserves all the accolades.
“Uncut Gems” is A24’s newest film and you all know how I feel about this company. They can do no wrong and here is still a strong step forward, despite some mild issues. The film is entertaining, but does lack pacing and that wow factor (until the end). It is extremely suspenseful and full of brilliant performances, but with a runtime of over two hours, there is only so much yelling I can take.
This film is loud. When I say loud, I mean LOUD. The characters constantly speak over each other, and you will find yourself trying to pick out every other word in a scene. After a while, you will resort to fully disregarding a full sentence in order to catch the next one, which can be confusing story wise. In my showing, people walked out due to the volume alone and I can say that I have never seen that before. It is a bit annoying, but if you stick it out, you will get used to it.
The cinematography is nothing special. Similarly, it is shot like any other heist film. Nonetheless, it gets the job done.
The writing is the best aspect of the movie. When you finally understand the story (it may take a while), the film becomes extremely intriguing. Then when you get to the last half, it almost becomes an entirely different movie. The middle of the film is a bit of a bluffer and in my opinion, completely necessary. There is a cameo that comes out of nowhere and totally feels out of place. This is where pacing gets out of hand.
Before release, the only buzz I heard all year long is Adam Sandler’s performance. I am here to tell you that this is the best performance he has ever done. This character is made for him. He has the voice, the mannerisms, and the look to pull off this awkward gambling addict. His performance is strong and it is truly a huge part of what makes the film watchable. Lakeith Stanfield plays himself in this movie; and when I say himself, I mean he plays the same character in every movie. There is no new characteristics here. It’s either he’s a thug or a professional thug. Don’t get me wrong, he’s good, but nothing special. All the other performances are good, but also forgettable.
In all, I enjoyed the film.
Is it the best of the year? No, but it is the better half.
Will I watch again? Probably not, but I do recommend it at least once.
The last half makes it all worthwhile. Check it out!
Comments