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 & 75 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 (as Keith Williams Richards)
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:

neo noir | new york city | jeweler | jewelry | gem | 

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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.

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:

Elara Pictures, IAC Films, Scott Rudin Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

135 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital Dolby Atmos

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Tilda Swinton makes a cameo in the film as the voice of the auction manager on the phone.

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Goofs

Mohegan Sun Casino is in the state of Connecticut. Connecticut, while having 2 casinos and multiple off track betting sites, does not have legalized sports betting, yet.

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Quotes

Demany: And what the fuck is it wit' you Jewish niggas and basketball anyway? 'Uh? Shucks.
Howard Ratner: I'll have you know the first two points scored in the NBA was a Jew.
Demany: Yeah, yeah, who what, Fred Flintstein?
Howard Ratner: No. Ossie Schectman, 1946, played for the Knicks.

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Connections

Featured in WatchMojo: Top 10 Best Movies of 2019 (2019)

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Soundtracks

L'amour Toujours (Small Mix)
Written by Gigi D'Agostino (as Luigino Di Agostino), Carlo Montagner, Paolo Sandrini and Diego Leoni (as Diego Maria Leonie)
Performed by Gigi D'Agostino
With the kind permission of ZYX Music GmbH & Co. KG.

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.