THE DANMAN CAN

Uncut Gems   (2019) is a relentlessly tense gem of a film with rapid editing and an unconventional score. It features a career best performance by  Adam Sandler  in a dramatic yet hilarious role to rival his parts in  Punch-Drunk Love  (2002) and  The Meyerowitz Stories   (2017) (my review  here ).  Sandler, here channeling an  Al Pacino -like energy, plays Howard Ratner, a Jewish NYC jeweler. Howard is one sad sack character, continuously making incredibly poor life decisions, yet you can't help but root for the guy because of his charisma. The whole film barely gives you room to breathe, and yet it keeps you glued to the screen. This was my third time watching  Uncut Gems ,  this time in the best home video quality possible, via The Criterion Collection 's 4K UHD . It really is an all-timer. I hope that the next Safdie brothers film is as electric as this one, their most commercially successful but also their best s...

On a second viewing Uncut Gems  (2019) feels slightly less frantic but no less engaging. This really is an all-timer. My original more detailed review is here . I hope that the next Safdie brothers film is as electric as this one, their most commercially successful but also their best so far. Safdie Bros Feature Films Ranked

It's interesting that I've watched  Benny and Josh Safdie 's films in reverse chronological order, as they've gotten better and better with each film—my review of  Uncut Gems  (2019) here , my review of  Good Time  (2017) here , I have yet to see Daddy Longlegs  (2009). I am glad that it happened this way because, honestly, if this had been the first film of theirs that I'd seen, followed by Good Time , I might have been less interested to see Uncut Gems . Which is to say, Heaven Knows What (2014) is my least favorite of their films that I've seen and I can't see myself rewatching it. However it's still a good film—it has their trademark style of shooting and editing with an even more documentary-like quality. But I couldn't find myself connecting with the characters at all (it's like a  Harmony Korine  film without the comedy). I can appreciate that Arielle Holmes  laid herself bare with her story and performance, based on her real life...

I'm glad that I saw Uncut Gems  (2019) (my review here ) before I saw Good Time (2017). Reason being that in a lot of ways Good Time  feels like the test run for Uncut Gems , a far superior film. Both films are crime stories that invoke a very similar kind of anxiety, feature a frenetic score by Daniel Lopatin , dizzying cinematography, and have a central character that makes one asinine decision after another. But while Robert Pattinson  does give a very good performance in this film, Connie has none of the charisma that Adam Sandler 's Howard does in Gems . I know it's not necessarily fair to compare the two films or actors when they are not the same beast—I just got a lot of the same vibe in Good Time  but didn't connect with the characters. Jennifer Jason Leigh 's screen time in particular felt wasted. In short, this film is indeed a good time but not quite a gem. Safdie Bros Feature Films Ranked

1.    The Irishman   ****1/2 ( Review ) 2.    Uncut Gems  ****1/2 ( Review ) 3.    Deadwood: The Movie  ****1/2 ( Review ) 4.    Marriage Story  ****1/2 ( Review ) 5.    The Nightingale  (2018) **** ( Review ) 6.    The Lighthouse   **** ( Review ) 7.    Knives Out  **** ( Review ) 8.    Once Upon A Time In Hollywood   ***1/2 ( Review ) 9.    Midsommar  ***1/2 ( Review ) 10.  The Dead Don't Die  ***1/2 ( Review ) 11.  Joker   ***1/2 ( Review ) 12.  Doctor Sleep  ***1/2 ( Review ) 13.  Dragged Against Concrete  (2018) ***1/2 ( Review ) 14.  Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker   *** ( Review ) 15.  El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie   *** ( Review ) 16.  High Flying Bird  *** ( Review ) 17.  Ready Or Not  *** ( Review ) 18.  Us  *** ( Review ) 19....

Uncut Gems (2019) is a relentlessly tense gem of a film with rapid editing and an unconventional score. It features a career best performance by Adam Sandler  in a dramatic yet hilarious role to rival his parts in Punch-Drunk Love  (2002) and The Meyerowitz Stories (2017) (my review here ). Sandler, here channeling an  Al Pacino -like energy, plays Howard Ratner, a Jewish NYC jeweler. Howard is one sad sack character, continuously making incredibly poor life decisions, yet you can't help but root for the guy because of his charisma. The whole film barely gives you room to breathe, and yet it keeps you glued to the screen. I'm very much looking forward to a rewatch and I need to bump directors Benny and Josh Safdie 's previous film Good Time (2017) way up on my watch list.