UNCUT GEMS

Adam Sadler dips his toes again into the dramatic with help of the Safdie Brothers as Howard Ratner in Uncut Gems. The film is a addled blur as seamlessly moves from scene to scene never letting the viewer breathe.

It's been only a year or so sine Sandler tried his last attempt at drama in Noah Baumbach's Meyerwitz's Stories, but I think that his collaboration with the Safdie's may have tapped into something we haven't seen in a Sandler performance.

Sandler has always had a unique blend of rage and anxiety in his comedy performances, but always struggled to translate that same energy to a dramatic format.

Howard Ratner seems to be that answer.

Sandler is able to channel his anxiety and kinetic energy into a performance that's charismatic as well as pathetic. We can't help but feel a sense of dread and hope with every sports bet and every pawn exchange throughout the film.

Julia Fox shines in her debut in a feature film as Howard's mistress. The cast in rounded out by stage constant Idina Menzel and budding star LaKeith Stanfield.

And if hasn't been said enough, Kevin Garnett proves that some athletes do have an eventual career in film, blending his enigmatic energy with Sandler frenetic persona to create a truly unique chemistry.

The film is worth the praise it had received toward the end of 2019, and though the film wasn't recognized by the Academy, it should gain a new life through its appearance on Netflix and other streaming platforms.