What we do and don’t know so far about Uncut Gems with limited opening on December 13, 2019 via various sources:
- Adam Sandler stars in a dramatic role, yes, that emphasis is correct.
- NBA star Kevin Garnett stars as himself
- Some brand new (non-) actors were used for fight scenes and Sandler says he was really choked out.
- The film is by the Safdie Brothers: Josh and Bennie.
- With 50+ reviews at Rotten Tomatoes it holds 94% Fresh rating. This was screened at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2019 and clearly met with overwhelming critical praise.
- Director of Parasite, Bong Joon-Ho, ⭐️⭐️⭐️ cites Uncut Gems as his favorite movie of 2019 and would like to work with Sandler someday.
What most piques my curiosity is the critic dynamic with Adam Sandler’s films — at least his comedies — tends to be very negative and yet here in a more dramatic film, he’s actually getting Oscar buzz.
Jennifer Aniston won The People’s Choice Icon Award for her work on the Netflix Original Murder Mystery ⭐️⭐️½ which I found merely OK (click title to read review). Aniston went on to gush about how great it is working with Sandler and how he is a good human being and great talent.
He has that effect on his friends who repeatedly return to his movies. Actors like Steve Buscemi who literally is in almost every Sandler movie.
My favorite Sandler films to date have been when he creates original music and has good chemistry with his romantic interest (The Wedding Singer) and where he goes off the rails funny. Airheads is great.
I realize this isn’t the first dramatic role Sandler is taking. He starred in Punch Drunk Love and Reign Over Me which seemed to feature him more as conflicted, often angry characters.
In Uncut Gems, he seems to be playing a gambler on the run role. Here is the plot synopsis:
From acclaimed filmmakers Josh and Benny Safdie comes an electrifying crime thriller about Howard Ratner (Adam Sandler), a charismatic New York City jeweler always on the lookout for the next big score. When he makes a series of high-stakes bets that could lead to the windfall of a lifetime, Howard must perform a precarious high-wire act, balancing business, family, and encroaching adversaries on all sides, in his relentless pursuit of the ultimate win.
Rotten Tomatoes Plot Info
Sandler stars in the kinds of films he wants to make, with this “anxiety-inducing” film by the Safdie brothers. In this film, not made by him, he took this role because he must have wanted to do something different. That increases my anticipation for this film.
Am a little concerned this will be a limited, not a wide distribution, because other A24 films have been not been in many theaters. Maybe Sandler’s star power will make this a wider screening.
Uncut Gems hits theaters December 13, 2019.
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