Sandler sparkles in Gem What to Watch
Those of us who think far too much about these things, occasionally find ourselves in deep and earnest conversation – usually after a pint – about just what to make of the career of Mrs Sandler’s boy, Adam. I’m sure Sandler’s various comic personas have made him as wealthy as a minor god – and if so, good luck to him – but in Punch Drunk Love, Reign Over Me and Funny People, Sandler has been beyond terrific.
Punch Drunk Love in particular, saw Sandler go head-to-head with a fully fired up Philip Seymour Hoffman in a couple of key scenes – and still pretty much win the day.
So now, here’s Uncut Gems, dropping on to Netflix this past week, with all the fanfare a campaign for an Oscar nomination for Sandler could generate.
And, once you see it, I reckon you’ll fall pretty fast into the ‘‘he was robbed camp’’ as well.
Uncut Gems sees Sandler cast as Howard Ratner. He’s a gambling addict with a business dealing in precious stones. And if you think that’s a potential recipe for financial disaster, you’d be right.
But the film never quite falls into the standard thriller tropes that a lesser script wouldn’t have been able to avoid.
Writer Ronald Bronstein and directors Josh and Benny Safdie (Good Time, which is also terrific) keep the twists and turns coming frequently and relentlessly, as Howard’s life implodes over a couple of days.
But the glimmer of hope that he might actually be able to retrieve the priceless gem that will literally save his life, is never quite extinguished. A typical, brilliant shift behind the camera from legendary cinematographer Darius Khondji (Delicatessen, City of Lost Children, Se7en, Okja et al) keeps Uncut Gems absolutely glistening and glowing on the screen, while the performers around Sandler are more than good enough to put his work in context. The genius of Uncut Gems – and it reminded me of everything from Layer Cake to Sexy Beast and The Friends of Eddie Coyle at times – is to take unsavoury people, doing despicable things and then remind us that not many human lives could stand all that much scrutiny, and that all of us are fighting to stay alive in ways that perhaps no-one around us can see. Uncut Gems is a flat-out wonderful piece of writing, cinematography and direction. And in Sandler – the role was written for him – the film has a genuinely great lead who can tie it all together. Bravo. Uncut Gems is available on Netflix now. Layer Cake, Sexy Beast, The Friends of Eddie Coyle and the rest of Darius Khondji’s filmography may be available online.
But they can all definitely be found at Alice’s in Christchurch and Aro Street Video in Wellington.