Hammerman Ikon

Hammerman Ikon Film Guide

Uncut Gems
2019
****½
Director: Josh Safdie, Benny Safdie
Cast: Adam Sandler, Lakeith Stanfield, Julia Fox, Kevin Garnett, Idina Menzel, Eric Bogosian, Judd Hirsch, Keith Williams Richards, Jonathan Aranbayev, Noa Fisher, Abel Tesfaye

Howard Ratner is a self-destructive diamond dealer who runs a personal and professional high-stakes pyramid scheme. Whether Howard juggles between his wife and girlfriend, or attempts to pay off his gambling debts, he makes bad decisions, and then covers his tracks by making even worse ones. The only actor to play a character this awful and abrasive is Adam Sandler, who goes full Pacino in his finest performance to date. After I got past the auditory attack of the first few minutes when the soundtrack is cranked up to 11 and all the characters are talking and swearing at the same time, the two hours that follow left me breathless. This intense drama from the Safdie brothers is exhilarating, infuriating and definitely the most stressful watch I can remember.