Uncut Gems - upcoming Safdie Bros film with Adam Sandler (!)

Fysh

Trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTfJp2Ts9X8

It's been a long time since Adam Sandler has been in anything that looked interesting to me, but I didn't even recognise him in this trailer. The setup looks good and based on the quality of Good Time I'll be going to see this at the cinema - hopefully the Safdies have gotten as good a performance out of Sandler as they did Pattinson in Good Time.

Wayne Jarvis

This will be released on Netflix. It's the second last movie of Sandler's current deal.

the whole year inn

Guy Person wrote: »

This will be released on Netflix. It's the second last movie of Sandler's current deal.

Looks very good, when is it out?

Wayne Jarvis

the whole year inn wrote: »

Looks very good, when is it out?

Christmas Day.

johnny_ultimate

Guy Person wrote: »

This will be released on Netflix. It's the second last movie of Sandler's current deal.

While Netflix has the international rights, it’s not part of the Sandler Netflix deal. It’s an A24 release in the US.

Can’t wait to see it, have heard it’s immensely stressful and intense - which, given how well Good Time worked, I’m all in for.

Dades

Looks good. Though I can't shake the feeling Sandler is just channelling Al Pacino.

pixelburp

johnny_ultimate wrote: »

While Netflix has the international rights, it’s not part of the Sandler Netflix deal. It’s an A24 release in the US.

Can’t wait to see it, have heard it’s immensely stressful and intense - which, given how well Good Time worked, I’m all in for.

I get we like different things Johnny, but describing entertainment as "stressful and intense" is not quite the recommendation you might be gunning for

Looks intriguing but like others does feel as if Sandler is channeling Pacino, just a smidge.

brevity

I got a John Turturro vibe from Sandler

TheIrishGrover

In work so haven't seen the trailer yet but Sandler was very good in Punch Drunk Love. I'd like to see him doing more dramatic roles. If only to stop him making...... ahem.... "comedies".

johnny_ultimate

Let me tell you folks, this film is going to **** you up in the best possible way.

It’s very much a continuation of the Good Time approach - a darkly comedic thriller where a plan will never work out the way the protagonist thinks it will. It’s relentless in its wild, anxious energy - just a pulsating, underlying level of tension and imminent catastrophe that barely lets up at all. It’s an inspiring piece of orchestrated unease and chaos. Sandler’s wild, twitchy mannerisms are an ideal fit - cocksure to an almost manic degree. It’s a terrifically mad performance to watch, and a key ingredient in the Safdie’s pitch perfect tension machine.

I kind of love how it matches its amusingly recent period setting (2012) with a gritty, old school visual style and synth-heavy soundtrack - adds an additional layer of unease through recognisable but strangely off kilter and out-of-time setting and stylings.

Special mention to the tremendous ending. It ends the only way it can - a moment of euphoria for Howard before his plan goes wrong one last time.

Anyway it’s the feature film equivalent of a light but persistent panic attack, and please take that as the compliment it’s intended to be A proper treat.

El Duda

Looking forward to this. I love it when Sandler puts the effort in.

LGadd14

This is coming to Netflix here on January 31st from the looks of things, but it will release in some cinemas on January 10th (the Lighthouse have already confirmed that they'll show it, and going by other Netflix theatrical releases I'd imagine the IFI and IMC cinemas will too)
The Lighthouse are screening it in advance on January 2nd and tickets are still available.
https://lighthousecinema.ie//showing/showing-53755

vard

I went to a screening of this a couple of weeks ago. Adam Sandler and the directors were in attendance for a Q&A afterwards.

I was absolutely blown away by the film. I had no expectations going in. I wasn't familiar with the Safdie brothers. WOW. All I can say. The film is phenomenal, tense, thrilling. I genuinely think it's one of the best films I've ever seen.

Movie Maestro

Watched this last night, amazing performance by Sandler, not his usual slapstick role. Really engaging and intense stuff with and a great story. Recommended!

Sandler is much maligned for all the sh1t stuff that he has done.

Given the chance with a good script and a director that directs him he can be great.

johnny_ultimate

glasso wrote: »

Sandler is much maligned for all the sh1t stuff that he has done.

Given the chance with a good script and a director that directs him he can be great.

It's a shame - there are a few actors who can balance the pay-cheque stuff and passion projects extremely well, but Sandler has only done - by my count - three really interesting, challenging projects over the years (I'm not counting Reign Over Me, although at a stretch Funny People could be a fourth). Don't get me wrong, I'm sure he enjoys making the dumbass comedies too. But for someone who does show as much talent as he does in this or Punch Drunk Love - his two best performances, near two decades apart - it's disappointing he doesn't put himself out there more.

Maybe the good buzz from this will encourage him to do more.

you really have to say that the part was made for Sandler as he is a New York Jew by origin and was the perfect real-life age for the part also.

what a wild ride - that sort of freneticism and drama would most likely induce a heart attack in most people!

apparently the now-retired DDL loved the movie so much that he rang up Sandler out-of-the-blue to congratulate him on the movie and his portrayal.

Drumpot

johnny_ultimate wrote: »

It's a shame - there are a few actors who can balance the pay-cheque stuff and passion projects extremely well, but Sandler has only done - by my count - three really interesting, challenging projects over the years (I'm not counting Reign Over Me, although at a stretch Funny People could be a fourth). Don't get me wrong, I'm sure he enjoys making the dumbass comedies too. But for someone who does show as much talent as he does in this or Punch Drunk Love - his two best performances, near two decades apart - it's disappointing he doesn't put himself out there more.

Maybe the good buzz from this will encourage him to do more.

Gonna watch uncut gems when i get the chance but I loved punch drunk. Such a quirky movie and shot beautifully.

How lonely the character looked throughout and how great it was that he found a connection at the end. Surprised he could find any woman he could like with the sisters he had!

johnny_ultimate

On the same subject as the above posts, the new A24 podcast is a chat between Paul Thomas Anderson and the Safdies. No real spoilers for Uncut Gems so just three great filmmakers having a casual chat

safetyboy

Wow, that was intense, the music the acting.. blown away this could be film of the year for me.

JP Liz V1

There was some Oscar buzz for Sandler for this, is it eligible?

ShaneU

Most stressful film I've watched in a long time. 20 minutes in I said "oh god this not going to end well"

pixelburp

I've heard this talk about it being a "stressful" movie, can folks who've seen it explain what's meant? Is it just a tension that's constant over the story elements, or something else? Just not sure it'd a descriptor that'd necessarily entice...

johnny_ultimate

pixelburp wrote: »

I've heard this talk about it being a "stressful" movie, can folks who've seen it explain what's meant? Is it just a tension that's constant over the story elements, or something else? Just not sure it'd a descriptor that'd necessarily entice...

It’s almost like a dramatic version of something like Curb Your Enthusiasm - just a plan going very, very wrong with increasingly tense consequences. The film’s crafted like an absolute dream, though, with Sandler’s twitchy, cocksure performance a force of nature that suits the material perfectly. It’s stressful in the best possible way

Fysh

johnny_ultimate wrote: »

It’s almost like a dramatic version of something like Curb Your Enthusiasm - just a plan going very, very wrong with increasingly tense consequences. The film’s crafted like an absolute dream, though, with Sandler’s twitchy, cocksure performance a force of nature that suits the material perfectly. It’s stressful in the best possible way

I assumed you meant stressful in the same way that Good Time is stressful, in that you're watching things repeatedly go sideways for the protagonist and while he keeps coming up with new ideas, you're never convinced it's actually going to work out right. Is that about right?

yabadabado

Yeah that's kinda it but also the pacing and sound track is frenetic.

johnny_ultimate

Fysh wrote: »

I assumed you meant stressful in the same way that Good Time is stressful, in that you're watching things repeatedly go sideways for the protagonist and while he keeps coming up with new ideas, you're never convinced it's actually going to work out right. Is that about right?

Yep indeed. If you liked Good Time, this is very much a variation on a theme - it feels a little more expansive than that film in interesting ways, but maintains the sort of intense intimacy of seeing one manically determined person **** up in all manner of cringey, perilous ways.

I struggled to enjoy this - and really disliked the music in it (apart from the credits song!). Sandler was great but it feels almost like a one man play, given how much focus is on him.

Whatsisname

Dying to see this. How are people seeing it early as far as I'm aware its not out until the end of January over here?

johnny_ultimate

Whatsisname wrote: »

Dying to see this. How are people seeing it early as far as I'm aware its not out until the end of January over here?

It’s out next Friday in cinemas, then end of the month on Netflix. I saw it at a festival, and I know there have been a few preview screenings as well. By the sounds of it it has also ‘leaked’ - but glad to hear it’s been something of a cinema hit in the US.

Captain Red Beard

Horrible people shouting at each other.

pixelburp

Captain Red Beard wrote: »

Horrible people shouting at each other.

But enough about Boards, what did you make of the movie?

Captain Red Beard

pixelburp wrote: »

But enough about Boards, what did you make of the movie?

Littered with cliches, full of horrible people, I didn't like it.

cdgalwegian

This leaves little time to catch one's breath, which in the hands of other directors would have been too suffocating; but with the Safdie brothers, it's exhilarating (sounds like some poppers could come in handy :pac:). The incongruent music gave it a slightly surreal feel, where everything is brought back to earth at the climax (there i go again).
Punch Drunk Love and this have shown that Sandler is no uncut gem (boom).

El Duda

Managed to catch a screening of this earlier...

Wow! This is one hell of a film. Those Safdie's aren't f--king about. Over 2 hours felt more like 90mins.

Outlaw Pete

Seen it in the Lighthouse last week and loved it. Phenomenal film. Hope Sandler picks up some awards for it.

Julia Fox is gonna be a star if her performance is anything to go by as I thought she too was excellent.

Whatsisname

Whatsisname wrote: »

Dying to see this. How are people seeing it early as far as I'm aware its not out until the end of January over here?

Well, I finally got to see this last night and holy **** what a film. From the very start of everyone talking over eachother, its pure sensory overload and leads into the suffocating and stressful feeling you're about to endure for the next 2 hours.

With every decision he made, I had my head in my hands. Sandler knocked it outta the park on this. It had me proper on the edge of my seat throughout, noticed people sitting around me quite literally on the edge of theirs too haha.

Last 20 minutes was an absolute rollercoaster and I left the cinema in silence. Last movie to make me feel like I've been uppercut at the end like that was Infinity War.

Utterly fantastic film.

johnny_ultimate

I’ve moved past insisting people should see films in cinemas if they can - the important thing is that by the end of the month everyone will get to see this one way or the other.

But I will say this: if you use the pause button when watching this film you’re basically cheating :pac:

El Duda

Uncut Gems – 9.5/10

Even just from the opening title sequence, you know you’re in the hands of boundary pushing filmmakers. The way the sound design is so off-kilter, with overlapping dialogue and a score that feels like it should’ve died down by now, marks the subtle beginnings of a film that gradually discombobulates its audience. The Safdie’s do a great job of playing around with the conventions of cinema to create a sense of tension and general unease.

The plot itself is highly original and unlike anything I’ve seen; Adam Sandler plays Jeweller Howard Ratner, who specialises in supplying ‘bling’ to sports stars/rap artists. Not only was this world completely alien to me, but the absurdity and lavishness of the lifestyle is completely engrossing. You find yourself baffled that someone like Howard has managed to navigate his way through life and get this far without receiving his comeuppance.

The plot goes places you would never predict, with Howard getting himself into one nail biting situation after another. The Safdie’s took almost a decade to write this and went through multiple drafts and the result is a film crammed full of swearing, violence, humour, smut, sex and music. It builds towards one hell of a crescendo and rarely pauses for breath. This film is why we love cinema. Worth admission for the cinematography and score alone.

MrKingsley

Dónal wrote: »

I struggled to enjoy this - and really disliked the music in it (apart from the credits song!). Sandler was great but it feels almost like a one man play, given how much focus is on him.

I could not agree more Donal.

The thought the music and some of the acting from the smaller parts was like a college produced short film.

I’ve seen it get 5 star reviews everywhere but I just don’t understand it.

Sandler was great and the ending was fabulous but other than that I thought it was meh/annoying

cdgalwegian

The Safdie brothers in interviews have said they took inspiration for the Ratner character from their father's stories of the diamond district in New York, but in the Empire film podcast (https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/the-empire-film-podcast/e/66488092?autoplay=true) they also say that Ratner's behaviour is largely drawn from a guy called Al Goldstein:

Technocentral

Captain Red Beard wrote: »

Horrible people shouting at each other.

Films dont have to have likable characters to be great, look at Downfall or The Irishman amongst others.

brianregan09

Christ that was excellent , Sandler was so so good in it

PressRun

Finally got to see this. Brilliant stuff. Thought I was going to have a stroke during the last 20 minutes.

Sandler - what do you say about this guy? The man is a mystery. Clearly capable of great performances and knows what a good movie looks like, but chooses not to make them. Bizarre energy.
He's outstanding in this film.

homerun_homer

Loved this film! I don't think I had the same pumped liked I'd been put through the ringer feeling that I had when I stepped out of The Departed years ago, but it gave me stress dreams afterwards so... yeah this film did what had been hyped.

I don't like Adam Sandler's films but am open to him being in a good film like this and Punch Drunk Love, both superb films and performances. It was really hard for me to get anyone to go to this because they just write him off regardless of the film-makers involved. More fool them.

I can't wait to see what the safdie brothers do next.

El Duda

Had I not been baked off my bonce before the screening I think I may have endured a panic attack.

cdgalwegian

cdgalwegian wrote: »

The Safdie brothers in interviews have said they took inspiration for the Ratner character from their father's stories of the diamond district in New York, but in the Empire film podcast

funny that the character surname had the same name as the British jewellers that also had 100's of stores in the US.

The head guy of the same name famously espoused how they were selling "crap" at a meeting with lots of attendees and journalists - not the smartest move in a business supposedly about luxury.

https://businessblogshub.com/2012/09/the-man-who-destroyed-his-multi-million-dollar-company-in-10-seconds/

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2014/aug/22/gerald-ratner-jewellery-total-crap-1992-archive

the whole company was sunk effectively on that ill-judged comment. I'm sure that the directors knew what they were doing picking the name.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKtBkVrqYYk

cdgalwegian

glasso wrote: »

the whole company was sunk effectively on that ill-judged comment. I'm sure that the directors knew what they were doing picking the name.

In the Empire podcast they said they were unaware of Gerald Ratner until they arrived in Britain for their film tour recently, but were delighted with the name and jewelry coincidence.

The brothers also said they had also asked Jonah Hill to star, as well as Howard Stern (?).

yabadabado

homerun_homer wrote: »

I can't wait to see what the safdie brothers do next.

They were attached to a 48 Hours remake but pulled out as they didnt think they could make it work for them.

Think they want to continue making their own original content.

johnny_ultimate

While I assume Good Time is widely seen at this stage, it is worth digging out Heavens Knows What for those who haven't got around to it. I saw it before the other two, so has been interesting to see how the brothers have built on the style and ideas they established earlier (still haven't seen their really early stuff, mind you). Boasts a tremendous lead performance from Arielle Holmes, and as a drug addiction drama boasts the same sort of non-judgmental representation of its 'larger than life' characters as both Uncut Gems / Good Time did.