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‘Uncut Gems’ Review: Adam Sandler Shines as Degenerate Gambler
by John Nolte

When it come to gambling movies, there are two separate genres. The flashy kind that portray the thrill of chance, the attraction of life as a rounder, the self-made men who live romantic lives perched on the edge of a dice roll or the turn of a card. Maverick (1994), The Sting (1973), Rounders (1998), etc.

The other genre wallows in the sleaze of it all. The backrooms, the loan sharks, and a protagonist who doesn’t care about winning because it’s losing that gets the adrenaline surging. You see, owing a thumb breaker clarifies the excitement of life. It also justifies your self-loathing. Movies about degenerate gamblers are nowhere near as popular as the other kind, but they can be a whole lot more interesting and insightful.

My favorites in this genre include The Gambler (1974), Hard Eight (1996), California Split (1974), The Hustler (1961), and The Bad Lieutenant (1992). There are plenty of bad movies that have gone this route. Uncut Gems is not one of them.

I can’t yet say that Uncut Gems will join my fave five. I’ll have to see it again. These things take time. There is no question, though, Uncut Gems is a triumph for star Adam Sandler and brother directors, Josh and Benny Safdie.

To begin with, it’s a box office hit. More importantly, it proves Good Time, the 2017 crime-thriller that put them on the map, was no fluke and that they’re growing as filmmakers and storytellers.

Continues:

https://www.breitbart.com/entertainment/2020/01/10/uncut-gems-review-adam-sandler-shines-as-degenerate-gambler/

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