Uncut Gems (2019)

[***1/2 stars/*****]

Howard Ratner (Adam Sandler) is a bumbling, restless, shrewd, gambling-crazy New York City jewelry store owner. 

We first meet Ratner on the brink of cracking a huge deal, in his street-smart rambling 'Sandler lazy casual-drawl' manner.

But life is not a bed of priceless gems.  

Ratner has a huge gambling debt to pay off, including over $100,000 to his menacing brother-in-law Arno (Eric Bogosian). 

But that doesn't stop Ratner on his roller-coaster madcap ride for infinite wealth...even when Arno sends over his men to the jewelry store - short-tempered Phil (Keith Williams Richards) and Nico (Tommy Kominik) to physically intimidate and embarrass Ratner before his customers. 

Things come to the head when a black opal, a rare priceless gem extracted by Ethiopian miners reaches Ratner, setting off a chaotic chain of events. 

Already, Ratner is on the verge of divorcing his separated wife, barely has time for his children, and is having an affair with his employee Julia (Julia Fox). 

Is there a rainbow waiting for Ratner as he spirals out of control, curving down his adrenaline rush for money, money, and more money? 

Fast-paced entertaining drama 
Writers Josh Safdie, Benny Safdie (also co-directors) and Ronald Bronstein churn a madcap, hypnotic, feverish drama thriller, symbolically pinning the black opal, and channeling insatiable greed through Ratner's circling fetish for gambling.

The turbulent celebration in Daniel Lopatin's brilliant background score is magnetic, as is the constant deliberate busy shift in Darius Khondji's cinematography.    

Adam Sandler is a revelation, superb and immensely compelling as Howard Ratner. 

Sandler's intonation and body language to create a man consumed and not in control of himself is unforgettable. 

A city beast throbbing in a unabated blood rush, this is a career-defining performance.

I won't ever take any competent typecast actor for granted, thanks to Sandler's wolfish, trippy act.   

Lakeith Stanfield, Julia Fox, basketball player Kevin Garnett (as himself), Idina Menzel, Eric Bogosian and Judd Hirsch make a good support cast. 

The Jewish-American community representation steers clear of stereotypes. The directors ensure that it is only incidental to the pulsating drama. 

Striking tension-induced mood settings makes up for the sketchiness, Uncut Gems is a whirlwind manic thump of a drama. 

(Uncut Gems is streaming on Netflix.)