Making an Adam Sandler film (with a difference)

Directors Josh and Benny Safdie on directing the comedy star in something different: a really good high-octane thriller

“critical hit” is not a phrase you often associate with adam Sandler these days. But that’s exactly what Uncut Gems, the latest film from New York filmmakers the Safdie brothers, offers. Sandler’s turn as grimy gambler howard ratner has earned him the best reviews of his career. here, the brothers explain their process.

the leading man

While Sandler might seem a strange choice for a dark thriller, he was the obvious choice for his directors. “look at his early comedies,” says Benny. “the absurdity of the situations he faces — you believe these things are happening to him.” Sandler’s intensity was matched off-screen, too, says Josh: “[We] have yet to come across somebody who matches our work ethic and output. he trumped us. it was intense.”

the Setting

the film plays out in New York’s diamond district, as howard navigates various pawn shops and his own business to keep a stable cashflow. “it’s a place that’s always intrigued us,” Josh says. “the jewellery business is fascinating, because you’re talking about people trying to buy their way into a certain place.”

the Pace

Since the project had been in the works for a decade, the Safdies had to cut a lot to maintain the film’s explosive pace. “We decided to boil the script down to howard racing against the clock, cheating God. and when you’re cheating God, you’re cheating fate, so you’ve gotta move really quick.” the brothers excitedly had a prestigious observer: “We still can’t believe it’s true, but about three quarters through the edit, Paul thomas anderson came by and watched our film. he was like, ‘Does it stay at this [pace]?’ and we were like, ‘Oh, it gets crazier.’” Benny adds, “he could have asked the question with a different intonation — can you stay at this pace?”

the music

Sound is a key tool in evoking howard’s severe desperation. Daniel lopatin, aka experimental electronic musician Oneohtrix Point Never, provides a relentless percussive score. “the score gave a pulse to the narrative of that movie, but Gems is a little bit more abstract,” the brothers explain. “a lot of the music we use in this score is inspired by Jewish music and meditation accompaniments, but we’re now repurposing them in what is probably the opposite of a meditation. We were looking for the score to be euphoric, in its own cosmic way.” uncut gems is in cinemas and on netflix from january