Sandler delivers a rock-solid performance in ‘Uncut Gems’
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In a recent Facebook post, Barstool Sports asked its followers what's the best gambling film of all time? One of the choices was 2019's "Uncut Gems."
It didn't fare well in the poll, but I remember liking the film, so I gave it another watch on Tuesday night. The film stars Adam Sandler as you've never seen him before.
The film opens in 2010, where Ethiopian Jewish miners retrieve a rare black opal from a mine in Ethiopia. Cut to 2012, where Howard Ratner (Sandler) is getting a colonoscopy. Following his colonoscopy, Ratner returns to KMH, a jewelry store he runs in New York City's Diamond District. We quickly learn that Howard has massive gambling debts and owes $100,000 to Arno (Eric Bogosian), his loan shark brother-in-law.
Howard's business associate Demany (LaKeith Stanfield) brings basketball star Kevin Garnett to KMH. While Garnett is at the shop, Howard shows him the rare opal, which he has smuggled from Africa. Garnett becomes obsessed with the opal, insisting on holding onto it for good luck at his game that night. Howard reluctantly agrees, accepting Garnett's 2008 NBA Championship ring as collateral. Howard proceeds to pawn the ring to place more bets.
The plot really takes off from there. We learn that Howard is really slimy. He has an apartment in the city that he shares with his mistress, Julia (Julia Fox). His wife, Dinah (Indina Menzel), knows that Howard is cheating on her and the two have agreed to a divorce following Passover. His home life is a mess, quite frankly. Julia tells Howard she loves him, but it's very clear she's just a party girl who is after his money. She also works for him, which complicates his life. Dinah detests Howard, as do his children.
"Uncut Gems" is clearly a vehicle for Sandler. He carries the film and while we think of him as a comedian, he really gets to flex his acting chops here. He's one of those rare characters -- he's scum, but we are still rooting for him along the way.
His gambling addiction really catches up with him as the film progresses. He gets into more and more trouble as he tries to dig himself out of numerous debts. There is a scene about midway through the film when Arno sends his thugs to follow Howard to his daughter's play. They wind up stripping Howard of his clothes and tossing him in the trunk of his car. He has to call Dinah to unlock the trunk. It's both sad and funny.
There are some interesting celebrity appearances in the film. Garnett holds his own as an integral part of the plot. Singer "The Weeknd" appears in a small role and radio personality Mike Francesa has a bit role as Howard's bookie, Gary.
"Uncut Gems" is a wild ride from start to finish. We are along for the ride as Howard makes awful decision after awful decision.
While Sandler has done a few dramatic films before ("Spanglish," "Punch Drunk Love"), "Uncut Gems" is probably his best effort to date. He was expected to get an Oscar nomination for his role, but that didn't happen. On the Howard Stern Show, Sandler said that he expected a nomination and said: "If I don't get it, I'm going to … come back and do one again that is so bad on purpose just to make you all pay. That's how I get them."
His performance is certainly worthy of an Oscar nomination. It's hard to imagine him having a better vehicle to get one. Historically speaking, the Academy doesn't like to recognize comedic actors who have made the dramatic turn. You can add The Sandman to that list. Simply put, he was robbed.
"Uncut Gems" is rated R for adult themes, language, violence and sexual situations. You can catch "Uncut Gems" on Netflix.
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Chris Morelli is a staff reporter for The Express.