"Uncut Gems" Has a Pretty Big Sports Goof Driving People Crazy

Uncut Gems is the best film in the career of Adam Sandler. Moreover, this is far from the best movie for the viewer. Unless, of course, he is a fan of crime thrillers exhausting with the chaotic passion inherent in the main character.

In the center of the plot is the owner of a jewelry store Howard (Adam Sandler), whose whole life is at risk. He places his bets, wanting to get rich, being deeply in debt. He deceives clients in pursuit of easy money. He is absorbed in the excitement and imaginary genius of his business ideas, to which he devotes more time than his family. His whole life is a bustle, fueled by adrenaline that suppresses common sense. In all this, the hero lives a special dream, the embodiment of which will be the black opal from Ethiopia.

The film "Jewels Uncut" has quite interesting ratings. Rotten Tomatoes has a 92% rating (based on 300 film critics' reviews). In the same place, the viewer rating shows 52%, which is somewhat confusing.

However, after watching everything falls into place. The film turns out to be a brilliant embodiment of the worst human qualities that very naturally fit into the acting skills of Adam Sandler (it turns out that for many years he wasted time on dubious comedies, having the opportunity to show himself in dramatic roles). At the same time, the thriller causes almost physical discomfort, accompanied by a desire to quickly say goodbye to this story.

The ability to create a movie that is impossible to enjoy, and from which at some point it becomes difficult to break away, is the main quality of the Sadfi brothers, who acted as directors and screenwriters of "Uncut Jewels".

They began their careers with independent films, where the pathos of Hollywood chic did not penetrate in any way. In 2017, the brothers presented the film Good Time, in which they managed to turn Robert Pattinson into a completely stupid thief whose good intentions turn into a minor catastrophe of human existence.

After the success of the film, the Sadfie brothers managed to get the location of Adam Sandler (the actor saw the script for "Uncut Jewels" 10 years ago, but he refused to participate in the project) and a good budget for work in New York. Sadfi received permission to shoot in the "diamond district", where an unthinkable number of jewelry outlets are concentrated, attracting rich people of different caliber.

The directors don't even have to resort to any kind of exaggeration. Huge watches, gold chains, decorated with stones and ridiculous pendants - all this is held in high esteem by a certain circle of people. For confirmation, the performer The Weeknd appears in the frame, for whom wearing such accessories is in the order of things. A more important role is played by another guest celebrity, NBA champion Kevin Garnett, who has agreed to act out the jewel obsession. (By the way, because of him, the events of the film take place in 2012, when Garnett was still playing for the Boston Celtics.)

Most of all, of course, the obsessed with wealth is the hero of Adam Sandler, who absolutely does not need a backstory. It only takes two introductory scenes to understand what the central character is, and for two hours it is painful to be convinced of the confirmation of the deceitful first impression. This, by the way, does not affect the predictability of the plot. The Sadfi brothers have a lot of unnerving twists and turns, exacerbated by the protagonist's gambling habits.

Adam Sandler's acting performance did not receive an Oscar nomination (which sparked a wave of publications condemning the American Film Academy). The fact is that this role is more significant for the actor himself, associated with comedies, than for the viewer, who is unlikely to want to re-watch "Uncut Jewels."

The lack of a nomination does not negate the work of Sandler, who was able to convey the inner chaos of his character. In the film, the actor changes his speech and acquires unpleasant manners, reflecting a restless nature. The Sadfie brothers connect an electronic soundtrack to the acting, which keeps you in constant tension, not allowing you to forget about the cost of the adventures in which the protagonist embarks. All of this undoubtedly works. It also increases the feeling of relief when credits appear on the screen.

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