Each week, I will look at a movie that is currently in theaters or available to stream and give some reasons why people should watch it. This isn’t necessarily a film critique, rather, an overview of what I think is enjoyable about the film, and why it’s worth seeing. This week, we’ll be looking at Uncut Gems.
Uncut Gems stars Adam Sandler, therefore, it’s a comedy…. right? Not this time. Adam Sandler brought a big change of pace to the big screen in 2019 with a very serious crime drama, Uncut Gems. Here, Sandler plays a New York City jeweler who is looking for a big sell that will change his fortunes. Some of what we see is not far from Sandler’s usual. His character is down on luck throughout the film, and desperate. However, unlike in his other movies, there isn’t a comedic silver lining or undertone. Here, it is dark desperation mainly driven from his character’s own shortcomings and misdealing’s. Again, there isn’t anything funny about the increasingly dire situation Sandler finds himself in. It was a refreshing performance from Sandler, who, even if you typically find funny, and has done the same things most of his career. While there are other things to like about the film (the story is decent enough, other characters fit well etc.) I’m continually impressed with Sandler. Like him or not, Sandler is one of the faces of comedy in movies since the 1990s. To be able to make this good of a serous film, and to have that solid of a performance as a serious character, shows a range that we would have never anticipated out of Sandler. So, while the movie as a whole was good and is worth the watch, the real gem here is a serious Adam Sandler.
Uncut Gems is available for streaming on Netflix.
