erickeitel
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The beauty of life is in small details, not in big events.
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Post by erickeitel on Oct 13, 2019 22:40:15 GMT
I will admit I've been a skeptic of the claims that Adam Sandler is a great actor. I thought he could work with directors that cater to his limitations, but even in something like Punch-Drunk Love, I felt that I was still watching Adam Sandler in an Adam Sandler movie, albeit of a higher quality.
Until now.
Although it's set in the Obama election year of 2012, Uncut Gems is very much a portrayal of the greed and mania that fuel Trumpist America. In it, Adam Sandler plays Howard Ratner, a jeweler to the likes of NBA star Kevin Garnett (playing himself), with connections to an "up-and-coming" musician by the name of The Weeknd (also playing himself). In spite of Howard's countless flaws--unfaithful, neglectful parent, corrupt, ruthless--Sandler imbues in him a fascinating hustler quality that is like watching Garnett hustle up and down court. When Howard gets in the zone, he has a stubborn focus and determination that prevents himself from seeing anything other than the eye on his prize, no matter how many enemies he makes in the process. In Howard's mind, they can all be dealt with later.
That is, until they can't. Shortly after Uncut Gems starts, you can see the thunderous, cloudy skies forming above Howard, his family and his associates--not that Howard is ever once fazed. Howard is not a substance user, but what gets him high is figuring out how he can pull off the unthinkable. Donned in a designer leather jacket with at least one luxurious ring on his fingers, Howard fully embodies the "greed is good" mentality of Gordon Gekko, taken to the extreme by Safdie's manic effect. It's like watching a hustler movie from the 1970s, brought to life with Darius Khondji's gritty, razor-sharp cinematography.
I withheld some of the plot details until the movie is more seen--the less you know about the plot, the better--but this is indeed a must-see. A close-second to my favorite of 2019, after The Irishman. (Scorsese executive produced this, and you can see his influence all over it.)
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Post by cheesecake on Oct 20, 2019 4:18:50 GMT
I cannot contain myself.
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Post by DeepArcher on Nov 30, 2019 7:25:52 GMT
This is now comfortably my most anticipated of the rest of the year having now seen Parasite.
But that's not why I'm posting ... I'm posting because I felt the profound need to share this exchange I overheard from the folks a row behind me when this trailer showed before Parasite tonight:
Friend #1: "Holy shit that look so bad." Friend #2: "I don't even think it's real." Friend #3: "Nah I hear it's fire."
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erickeitel
Junior Member
The beauty of life is in small details, not in big events.
Posts: 464
Likes: 383
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Post by erickeitel on Dec 3, 2019 19:35:07 GMT
NBR Bump. Not sure if it's my favorite male performance of the year (or who else would be), but very well-deserved.
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Post by pacinoyes on Dec 17, 2019 19:25:15 GMT
Um.......well, it's my favorite Safdie film but it still has their usual troubles - no story arc, a very dubious screenplay and an absolutely exhausting dramatic scenario (THIS movie really needs editing).
But the Safdies know how to make movies that actually move - 2019 only has a few of these at all - and Uncut Gems zips right along with modern brio and modern tension - you sit up in your seat at every new scenario, think what could happen next? It maybe is the 2019 film which feels most like the current world in all its madness and sadness too.
Sandler is great but he's hurt by the character arc - at a certain point you have to shape a film to your characters rather than have 234 character moments - like if Mean Streets was all about Johnny Boy and he never shut up - he's giving 15 manic performances at once. The ending is a well duh-so what/wow knockout, simultaneously.
~8/10
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erickeitel
Junior Member
The beauty of life is in small details, not in big events.
Posts: 464
Likes: 383
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Post by erickeitel on Dec 17, 2019 23:30:22 GMT
like if Mean Streets was all about Johnny Boy and he never shut up - he's giving 15 manic performances at once. The ending is a well duh-so what/wow knockout, simultaneously. Ratner is too selfish to even have a sidekick, though. He couldn't possibly look out for anyone besides himself. But I'm glad you like it enough to give it an 8/10
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Post by stephen on Dec 18, 2019 1:55:45 GMT
I'm glad to see Scorsese's name attached to one movie that I actively liked this year. The Safdies are fast becoming the most fascinating young directors on the scene. Very few filmmakers have the capability to approximate sheer adrenaline in cinematic form the way that they've done, first with Good Time and now with Uncut Gems, and their avant-garde sensibilities extend to their oddball casting choices. Robert Pattinson's actorly cred got a massive boost with his outing with them, and now Adam Sandler is reaping the benefits. Unlike Good Time, which was a sleek stiletto of a movie, Uncut Gems bears the hallmarks of its title: it's much more amorphous, more unfocused. But I think that's to its credit, somewhat, because Howard Ratner's life is a messy blur. The volatile jewelry shopkeeper/black market dealer is always looking for the next big score, the next win. Because unlike Pattinson's Connie Nikas, who was hoping to snag enough cash to see him and his brother to a better life, Ratner doesn't care about the money. He's all about the high that comes from the Big W. True to form for the Safdies, Ratner is an impulsive and rather repulsive character with very few (any?) positive traits. He's a consummate sleaze whose interactions normally involve him either bellowing at the top of his lungs to his underlings. Everything's cranked up to eleven in this movie -- the men are thunderous blusterers, the women are brassy -- there is no room for subtlety in a Safdie joint. Still, there is room for nuance, and Adam Sandler has always been a deceptively skilled actor in this respect, despite his rep for playing man-children with no self-control for much of his career. Uncut Gems is an unwieldy and, at times, unpleasant experience. Its anxiety-inducing tempo is jagged and idiosyncratic, amped up by the drowning tones of Daniel Lopatin's score, and it pervades the entire movie with a guillotine-esque threat of imminent doom. Like Good Time, it fixates on a thoroughly unlikable individual, but also like Good Time, by the end of it, you're strangely rooting for him to pull it out... if only to keep yourself from having a heart attack.
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Post by notacrook on Dec 18, 2019 20:00:57 GMT
Very similar to the Safdies' Good Time, though for my money not as good - greater in reach and slightly less accomplished in grasp. Still, it's a very stylishly directed, grungy thriller that's hard to look away from once it gets going. Sandler isn't as pleasant-surprise great as I'd hoped, but his slimy charisma here still makes it a career-best turn. The Safdie brothers are certainly amongst the most exciting new filmmakers on the scene, and I can't wait to see what else they have in store. 7/10
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Post by quetee on Dec 19, 2019 1:16:13 GMT
Daniel Day Lewis called Adam and praised his performance.
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erickeitel
Junior Member
The beauty of life is in small details, not in big events.
Posts: 464
Likes: 383
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Post by erickeitel on Dec 19, 2019 10:02:52 GMT
Daniel Day Lewis called Adam and praised his performance. PTA probably set that up. He's close with both, after all.
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Post by jakesully on Dec 19, 2019 17:52:43 GMT
Been dying to see this one. Can't wait til Christmas (will watch it in theaters on XMas day for sure as a Christmas gift to myself0 and fuck watching a screener. See this shit in theaters and support indie filmmaking folks!
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Post by quetee on Dec 19, 2019 19:20:11 GMT
Daniel Day Lewis called Adam and praised his performance. PTA probably set that up. He's close with both, after all. Adam is friends with him too. They have lunch together from time to time.
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Post by Tommen_Saperstein on Dec 20, 2019 1:44:58 GMT
This was a fantastic film. Sandler gives a tour de force performance and yes it is his best yet. Story is simple and straightforward and hinges entirely on Sandler's character trying to juggle multiple bets and money changing hands and finding himself in over his head at every turn, and the Safdies thrive within those boundaries. The film is alive with desperate anxious energy which comes through in the performances, the soundscape, the music, and especially the editing.
I want to highlight the sound mixing, which I just loved. The sound in this movie is so chaotic. Characters are constantly talking over each other to the point that it's hard to make out what everyone's saying. It's a wall of fast-paced disconnected sounds rushing over you all at once. Take for instance the scene where KG's entourage finds themselves stuck behind the automatic door at Howard's store and they're all shouting at him to open it up and pounding on the door and he's yelling at his staff to get it fixed, and the mixing is so brilliant that you can perceive everything that's going in the scene despite so much happening at once. And there are so many scenes like that. It's thrilling.
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Post by getclutch on Dec 22, 2019 21:17:07 GMT
I liked everyone’s comment on this film. Sandler had a great performance, his best since Punch Drunk Love. Perhaps not as good as Good Time though the Safdie brothers are only getting warmed up, hopefully. However, no love or mention of LaKeith Steinfeld’s performance? He has come a long way as an actor & I thoroughly enjoyed his screen time.
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Post by stephen on Dec 22, 2019 21:30:25 GMT
However, no love or mention of LaKeith Steinfeld’s performance? He has come a long way as an actor & I thoroughly enjoyed his screen time. I mean, he was fine and all, but Keith Williams Richards was the unsung hero of the movie for me.
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Post by getclutch on Dec 22, 2019 21:39:25 GMT
However, no love or mention of LaKeith Steinfeld’s performance? He has come a long way as an actor & I thoroughly enjoyed his screen time. I mean, he was fine and all, but Keith Williams Richards was the unsung hero of the movie for me.
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Post by stephen on Dec 22, 2019 21:41:03 GMT
I mean, he was fine and all, but Keith Williams Richards was the unsung hero of the movie for me. Friggin' guy looks like if William Forsythe and William Sadler had a kid.
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Post by alexanderblanchett on Dec 24, 2019 14:02:42 GMT
A very well drafted and acted film. Adam Sandler proved himself once again as a true actor and it is a shame he doesnt get more roles like that. A shame that we get to see the actor Adam Sandler only every 5 years or so. This is surely his best performance and he deserves all awards attention he is getting for it. The film is generally very hectic and nervous, perfectly repressing the life and state of mind of its leading character. Sandler plays him so well and absolutely loses himself in that role. The Safdie brothers did a great job presenting us this world their protagonist is living in. Julia Fox also did a nice job, and is a very interesting new talent of which we will probably see more in the future. The score was truly amazing and captured the mood and atmosphere of the film perfectly. Its fantastic portrait of a truly "f!ck up" character, a character that has luck and misfortune on the same side and everything seems to break down on him within 24 hours. Its a modern tale in the tradition of "Taxi Driver" in some ways (although the characters are totally different and have different motivations). Really a gem.
Nominations :
Best Actor in a Leading Role: Adam Sandler Best Original Screenplay Best Score
Rating: 8/10
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erickeitel
Junior Member
The beauty of life is in small details, not in big events.
Posts: 464
Likes: 383
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Post by erickeitel on Dec 24, 2019 21:48:27 GMT
One question that I'm curious of is why the year is 2012. Is it so The Weeknd can play himself? After all, he's certainly no undiscovered talent at this point. Is it something specific to Kevin Garnett? (I don't watch any sport, let alone basketball so I have no idea.)
Or, is it just something the Safdies had in mind when they were writing it? After all, they said in interviews that they wanted to make Uncut Gems before they made Good Time, and that the latter was a stepping stone to get to the former.
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Post by Pittsnogle_Goggins on Dec 25, 2019 14:39:36 GMT
One question that I'm curious of is why the year is 2012. Is it so The Weeknd can play himself? After all, he's certainly no undiscovered talent at this point. Is it something specific to Kevin Garnett? (I don't watch any sport, let alone basketball so I have no idea.) Or, is it just something the Safdies had in mind when they were writing it? After all, they said in interviews that they wanted to make Uncut Gems before they made Good Time, and that the latter was a stepping stone to get to the former. If I had to guess I’d say it had to do with Garnett. I suppose they wanted to integrate actual games and performances of his.
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Good God
Badass
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Post by Good God on Dec 26, 2019 19:13:08 GMT
Best Adam Sandler performance, by a couple of miles. Perhaps the first time he actually impressed me. Really, really liked Julia Fox too. I really liked the movie, but it was such an exasperating watch.
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Post by jakesully on Dec 26, 2019 21:13:47 GMT
Those Safdie mofos went and did it again! I quite liked Good Time but Uncut Gems blew me away! Holy shit Sandler was terrific and lays it all out there. The supporting cast is all great as well. The soundtrack was top notch as was the direction (an exhausting experience all around) There is something really special about the Safdie brothers and I look forward to their future projects. Highly recommend seeing this little gem of a film in theaters folks. 9/10
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The-Havok
Badass
Doing pretty good so far
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Post by The-Havok on Dec 26, 2019 21:39:26 GMT
Netflix is releasing this internationally but I really hope they let independent cinemas screen it the way they did recently with The Irishman, Marriage Story and The Two Popes.
It seems like a film to be better enjoyed with an audience and in an actual movie theater
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Feesy
New Member
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Post by Feesy on Dec 26, 2019 22:17:50 GMT
One question that I'm curious of is why the year is 2012. Is it so The Weeknd can play himself? After all, he's certainly no undiscovered talent at this point. Is it something specific to Kevin Garnett? (I don't watch any sport, let alone basketball so I have no idea.) Or, is it just something the Safdies had in mind when they were writing it? After all, they said in interviews that they wanted to make Uncut Gems before they made Good Time, and that the latter was a stepping stone to get to the former. Without knowing the history of how the film was made, I'd guess it was because they wanted to integrate Garnett somehow. I was curious about this aspect, too. IMDB's trivia says that the script was written in 2009, this was hot off of Garnett's NBA Title win with the Celtics the year before. I think it's better off that way, considering how rampant sports-betting has become in 2019. Not that sports-betting hasn't existed before then, but I feel like it's a bit more timely with how popular it's becoming. As someone who has struggled a bit with gambling addiction, this movie kinda shook me a bit.
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Post by Mattsby on Dec 26, 2019 23:27:58 GMT
8ish/10, my #2 of the year.
Sandler perf insanely, impressively sustained, a lot of strung out estimating and redirecting, with a juvenile drive that Sandler has always had…… but it’s used here and blended perfectly with the pic’s turbulent pace and dark humor and the kamikaze trajectory.
Another Safdie specialty of urban urgency, adults behaving like almost infantile lunatics, and the questioning of familial bonds and the wedges of crises caused by personal whimsy… Here it’s that Tobackian gambling irony where they don’t ever want to win. It’s not about the money or the reward but the rush and the stacking of the risk too, like a matryoshka doll. That’s part of the magic in this pic - how Howard’s vicious cycle isn’t limited to just one big risk but many - and how the Safdies pepper in the side characters and bat us around just like Howard. Other elements like the score, which is greatly effective - at times recalling an arcade. “This is how I win” - there’s the game of it all and like any kid in an arcade you keep putting coins into the machine because you don’t want to stop playing. But for Howard it's more than a distraction, more than a game, and in the world of greased, violent adults in obstreperous NYC… there’s a real-world price. I’d rank this, Good Time, and Daddy Longlegs about evenly - there are different reasons why I love each - but Gems is arguably the best from a technical, directing standpoint, with Sandler’s tied-for-best perf next to Punch Drunk Love. Good Time improved a lot on re-watch and made me fully reconsider my initial thoughts. Daddy Longlegs feels low budget but it’s the one that still resonates the most for me.
"Cookies!"
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