Uncut Gems (2019)

With his debts mounting and angry collectors closing in, a fast-talking New York City jeweler risks everything in hope of staying afloat and alive.

Directors:

Benny Safdie, Josh Safdie

Writers:

Ronald Bronstein, Josh Safdie

Stars:

Adam Sandler, Julia Fox, Idina Menzel

24 wins & 87 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Mesfin Lamengo	...	Wounded Miner
Sun Zhi Hua-Hilton	...	Mine Foreman
Liang Wei-Hui-Duncan	...	Mine Management 1
Sunny Wu Jin Zahao	...	Mine Management 2
Deneke Muhugeta	...	Lead Miner 1
Habtunu Africho	...	Lead Miner 2
Warren Finkelstein	...	Dr. Blauman
Adam Sandler	...	Howard Ratner
Keith William Richards	...	Phil
Tommy Kominik	...	Nico
LaKeith Stanfield	...	Demany
Maksud Agadjani	...	Yussi
Ca$h Out	...	Ca$h Out
Andrea Linsky	...	Joani
Roman Persits	...	Roman

Storyline

Howard Ratner (Adam Sandler) is a once successful New York gems dealer whose gambling addiction has left his family and career in shambles, and him hundreds of thousands in debt. Always looking for the next big bet, Howard thinks he finally hit it big when he discovers a rare uncut rock of Ethiopian gems, with a very interested high-profile buyer. But the closer Howard gets to finally winning big, the more he is forced to realize he can't keep running from the consequences of his actions.

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Plot Keywords:

jewelry | murder | neo noir | new york city | jewish | 

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for pervasive strong language, violence, some sexual content and brief drug use.

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film features a rare acting appearance for Mike Francesa, whose filmography includes Undefeated (2003). In a further sports connection, he is considered a pioneer of sports talk radio beginning as the co-host of Mike and the Mad Dog with Christopher "Mad Dog" Russo on WFAN in New York.

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Goofs

At 01:48:22, a boom mic handler appears visible in the rightmost mirror.

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Quotes

Howard Ratner: Holy shit I'm gonna cum.

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Connections

Featured in WatchMojo: Top 10 Performances the 2020 Oscars Didn't Recognize (2020)

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Soundtracks

Type of Way
Written by Rich Homie Quan (as Dequantes Lamar) and Lionel Carter Jr.
Performed by Rich Homie Quan
Courtesy of Def Jam Recordings
under license from Universal Music Enterprises

User Reviews

Seen at TIFF 2019

Ever since watching the Safdie brother's previous feature, Good Time, I was eagerly awaiting their next feature. Good Time showed that they are masters of tension and momentum, with their impressive culmination of unique characters, editing, dialogue and of course musical scores, and Uncut Gems further cements that they are not only masters of tension, but they are truly two of the most exciting rising filmmakers right now.

I usually know how to structure a review, but Uncut Gems is so unconventional in nearly every regard, and frankly I'm not quite sure where to start. It doesn't let up, ever. Pretty much from the first minute to the end you are shot into a relentless world of chaos among various reoccurring characters, all gravitating around Adam Sandler's "Howie". That leads me to Adam Sandler's performance and character. I LOVED it. Oh boy, is he good. He's not only fantastic at delivering dialogue for extremely long and exhausting takes, but just seeing his characters psyche continuously digging himself deeper is electric.

I'll leave off with saying Uncut Gems is one of the most exhilarating and unique films that I've seen this year. Adam Sandler (and the entire cast) kill it, the musical score is loud and exciting, it looks beautiful, and it has an energy that I haven't seen in any other film this year.

I really can't wait to see what the Safdie's come up with next.

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official Instagram

Country:

USA

Language:

English Hebrew

Release Date:

25 December 2019 (USA)

Also Known As:

Uncut Gems

Filming Locations:

Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$19,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$537,242, 15 December 2019

Gross USA:

$50,023,780

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$50,023,780

Company Credits

Production Co:

A24, Elara Pictures, IAC Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

135 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Atmos

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1