Uncut Gems--A thriller with no release, excepting the inevitable conclusion. Adam Sandler plays a diamond hustler named Howard Ratner whose gambling debt spirals out of control. The film begins with a short sequence showing the mining of a black opal and then detours to the inside of Howard's colon as he lies unconscious during a colonoscopy. See, the film wants you to know that Howard is an asshole, which becomes more and more obvious as we follow him around New York as he wheels and deals, using collateral that doesn't belong to him to attempt to pay off his brother in-law, a loan shark. Howard eventually obtains the black opal seen in the prologue, which garners the interest of basketball star Kevin Garnett. Garnett's possession of the opal seems to improve his play; Howard makes a big bet at the end of the movie after finally selling the opal to him. The psychology of the gambler is one of the movie's major themes. Howard can't help but gamble, despite the ever increasing hole he's digging. This is also one of the most Jewish movies I've ever seen. Howard works with other Jews, his family is very Jewish, and he actually obtains the opal from Ethiopian Jews. Howard himself is a stereotype--the Jewish diamond merchant obsessed with scoring big--but this is an American story, and Howard's quest for glory while oblivion nips at his heels fits in nicely into the Trump era (the movie was released in 2019). Anxiety builds in the viewer as the movie escalates, and while it can be off-putting (I thought about turning the movie off several times during the first sixty minutes) it mirrors the gambler's search for that elusive high. You'll get it along with Howard if you can stick around till the end. A challenging film, but a great one. Props to Sandler for doing something other than a moron comedy.
Damsel--a Netflix movie (like Uncut Gems) that has one good idea that nearly carries what is otherwise a B-flick. Millie Bobbie Brown plays a princess who agrees to marry a prince to save her kingdom, only to be sacrificed to a dragon. The first part of the movie is actually pretty good. Brown's character has to race from tunnel to tunnel while trying to outsmart the giant fire-breathing dragon that knows the labyrinth better than the princess ever could. Shohreh Aghdashloo voices the dragon, and she does an excellent job making the monster sound creepy. Unfortunately, the movie gets schlockier the longer it goes on, and as Brown survives more and more implausible scenarios, any surprise or tension the film had vanishes. Still, I enjoyed Damsel and think it's a good watch for a Saturday night. It almost feels like an updated version of Dragonslayer.
Ricky Stanicky--One half of the Farrelly brothers is responsible for Ricky Stanicky, a comedy starring Zack Efron and John Cena about a trio of guys who have to find someone to play their imaginary friend who has served as their scapegoat into adulthood. Cena shines in this, particularly in an early scene in a strip joint where he sings perverted pop-songs rewritten to be about masturbation. Cena is the only one to stand out in what is otherwise an okay comedy with a few chuckles. There are no Dumber and Dumber-level scenes, and Efron doesn't distinguish himself, which is a shame, because he was pretty funny in Neighbors. Like Damsel, it might be worth a weekend watch. Just don't expect Something About Mary.
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