“Uncut Gems” (2019) / Z-View

Uncut Gems  (2019)

Director:  Benny Safdie, Josh Safdie

Writers:  Ronald Bronstein, Josh Safdie, Benny Safdie

Starring:  Adam Sandler, Julie Fox, Idina Menzel, Keith William Richards, Tommy Kominik, LaKeith Stanfield  and Kevin Garnett.

Tagline:  None.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

Howard Ratner (Sandler) is a big time gems dealer who should be on top of the world.  He has a successful business and a beautiful wife and kids. He brings in enough money to support a lifestyle most can only dream of.  Ratner’s self-destructive behavior has his business on the verge of collapse, his marriage near divorce.  He understands what is happening and yet continues to make the worst possible choices.

Ratner’s a degenerate gambler in debt to bookies and he keeps gambling — hocking items from his store to get enough for the next sure thing.  He’s having an affair, paying for an expensive apartment for a woman he knows loves his lifestyle and not him.  And when Ratner is lucky enough to get a chance to get out from under it all he screws that up… repeatedly.

Adam Sandler is excellent as Howard Ratner, one of the most unlikeable screw-ups in movie history. The problem I had with the film is that Ratner is so despicable, there’s no one to pull for.  He moves from one screw-up that he caused to the next.  That became tiresome as did the screaming and threats.  So for me Uncut Gems gets 2 of 5 stars.