As Rough As It Gets - Uncut Gems
Howard Ratner has a problem. His life is not like yours. He lives on the edge of a razor and makes laughably poor decisions that compound the consequences of his previous poor decisions. At first, this brazen disregard for ramifications is jarring, but this Safdie brothers production does just enough to suck you into his world and enjoy the ride. Along the way, we are treated to electric performances, manic energy and a downward spiral that makes for one of the most nerve-racking watches of 2019.
Howard Ratner (played brilliantly by Adam Sandler) owns a jewelry store in Manhattan’s Diamond District. He is also a compulsive gambler. Those worlds often collide as he floats money from one to cover debts in the other. He is aided in this operation by his mistress, Julia (played by Julia Fox), and Demany, Howard’s assistant who recruits high-profile clients.
One day, Demany brings in Kevin Garnett, the superstar forward for the Boston Celtics. And it just so happens that Howard has gotten in a rare black opal worth vast sums of money. When he shows the stone to Garnett, Garnett insets he let him take it with him to a playoff matchup with the 76ers. When KG has a big night, the stone becomes something of a good luck charm and sets off a series of tense circumstances for all involved.
The above summation doesn’t capture even a sliver of how chaotic this story actually is. At every turn, someone is looking for Howard to recover past due debts. Darius Khondji’s cinematography perfectly suits the hectic plot, as the camera sometimes floats from room to room and creates the pressure cooker the Safdies need to ground the stakes.
The other thing most responsible for making the Safdie’s vision a reality is this Herculean performance by Sandler. Julia Fox, The Weeknd and even KG are all uniformly solid, but Sandler is dunking on every scene. There is a certain ease with which he goes from the goofy hijinks we are used to to this slimy but charming guy who can’t get out of his own way. The result is a character you root for even if you can’t quite figure out why.
To be honest, not everything here works. There are characters who seem like props (hello, Idina Menzel and Judd Hirsch) and the story’s resolution may divide some audiences. But the Safdies’ vision is so refined and distilled that it is hard not to be sucked into this world. Like an exquisite meal where you get something stuck in your teeth, at the very least, I can assure you you won’t forget it.
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