Uncut Gems: Punch Drunk Love 2
In Josh and Benny Safdie's Uncut Gems, Adam Sandler plays New York City jeweler, Howard Ratner. His life is constantly filled with chaos that is caused by the choices he makes. Sandler's character enters a manic state that audiences have never seen him in before. He has so much energy and ego as the jeweler. Howard is annoying, full of rage and immature.
Howard spends a lot of time gambling; he is addicted to it. He feeds on the uncertain, risky impossible odds. Howard does his business in his shop in Brooklyn and keeps cash streaming by going from the pawnbrokers to the bookies. He owes money to many people but instead of paying them back or being smart with his money he continues to make bets. This habit of his puts him in a bad position with the people he owes money to. Sandler manages to perfectly switch between drama and comedy in this role and it fuels a lot of the film. The story falls mostly on him and he carries it till the very end showcasing a lot of his talents we love him for. Everyone around him is irritated by his selfishness and self-destruction.
During its two hours, Uncut Gems maintains a high level of stress the entire time. The film opens with a deep dive into a rare opal found in Ethiopia and then transitions into the inside of Howard's colon. The gemstone is a prized position of Howard's collection and the cause of his recklessness and compulsive personality. Howard manages to run a dangerous hustle while facing the obstacles of loan sharks.
The film is a period piece set in 2012 and fully embodies the era from its music to the iPhone 4 everyone carries. The plot revolves around the NBA Eastern Conference finals. Howard gets Celtics player Kevin Garnett into his shop as a customer. The Safdie's create a world that is confrontational with a major emphasis on the cinematography that delivers claustrophobic close-ups that help emphasize the stress and chaos of the film.
The film centers on the impulsiveness of Howard. He has a constant inability to stop making the wrong decisions. As the film progresses audiences think he has learned his lesson and takes the easier route but he keeps making things more and more complicated for himself that causes the film to get harder to watch. There are many deadlines set in the film for Howard but he continues to constantly ignore them which heightens the chaos.
The sound is a major player that enhances the anxiety. There is a mixture of people speaking over one another, persistent buzzing and ringing and a blaring electronic score. The sound may be a lot but it is ultimately Howard who is the cause of all this anxiety. He is responsible for all his ill decisions and the consequences he receives because of them. During the final act, Howard manages to go above and beyond and raises the stakes through a maniac monologue between him and Kevin Garnett. When you think this guy couldn't get any worse he does. The film puts audiences on a high as they watch this man put everything on the line and take every risk he can.