Uncut Gems

Uncut Gems is a high-octane, energetic film about the pursuit of money, also with the aim of getting out of a bad situation (debt). It is original primarily thanks to its electronic soundtrack, which sounds like something by Vangelis on ecstasy trying to imitate Atticus Ross. In the longer opening scene, where the music is just as loud as the dialogue, it is literally distracting. It comes across as a flawed soundtrack, to the point that you have the compulsion to grab the remote control and adjust something. It's an unusual way to dynamically engage and draw the viewer in. Used more sensitively later in the film, the soundtrack becomes a significant element of this distinctive cinematic experience. And the same can be said of the setting and characters. The directing duo’s protagonists are no angels and they all have character flaws (cheating on their wives and defrauding their business partners, ruthless greed). Despite that, we keep our fingers crossed for this one, because in the world of loan-sharking and black marketeering in which he operates, it couldn’t be any other way. The unfiltered depiction of this world, and in the Jewish community at that, makes this film unique and its makers courageous. (02/02/2020)

It's a bit of a paradox that this hyperkinetic street thriller actually feels anachronistic today, because it actually tells a story set against the backdrop of old New York City, the face of which has been heavily transformed over the past decade to suit the lifestyle of young yuppies, giving the whole glorious big-city street-life a pretty big beating. Even as a kind of reminiscence of those times, we can enjoy the depth and muted colours of a thirty-five-millimeter film in the hands of the most talented, Darius Khondji, who desaturated the colors of, for example, The City of Lost Children or Se7en. It's ironic that the Safdie bros meet exactly the demands of a predatory young directorial duo, but that's mainly because of how they ignore the formal developments within the last, say, fifteen years, after the widespread advent of digital. (22/03/2021)

It’s a pack of lies. The protagonist ("hero"), played really well by Adam Sandler, lies from start to finish, makes excuses, cheats, makes false promises, pulls the wool over people's eyes, balks... I can't say he's particularly good at it, but he certainly does it so intensely and automatically that he's actually lying to himself, even though he doesn't know it. Watching him get tangled up in his own webs was no particular pleasure for me, and I couldn't even get attached to any other character, because they're all just lying in this movie. All of them. All the time. Still, it gradually won me over, and the riveting final half hour finally earned it that fifth star. (01/02/2020)

Neo-noir Woody Allen on cocaine laced with synthetics. Loud-mouthed, too tense, hypnotic, mumbling, repulsive, soiled, slimy and truly (I really mean truly) intense. It cannot be recommended anyone. Compared to Uncut Gems, Good Time would be a viewer-friendly film. This time, the Safdis provoke on purpose. You will either hate or admire them from the bottom of your heart, but you will hardly say “hmm, a nice average movie that I will not remember tomorrow “. You will remember. It is only a question of whether you will spit in disgust or nod appreciatively while recalling it. (13/04/2020)

Adam Sandler in a serious role? Let’s see this! Uncut Gems is the next film from his Netflix series, the first with a non-comedy theme. However, his character here is unpleasant and noisy, just like the film itself. Moreover, it contains an unusual soundtrack, which is also not exactly melodious, adding to the overall gloominess of the film. The first hour, I didn’t really know what to think, but the tension was so high I thought I was going to explode like a pressure pot. Although I didn’t like Sandler’s character, I have to respect his performance. It was an acting feast, albeit one with a psychedelic musical background. (05/02/2020)