Anna Daniels
This time, Adam Sandler answered the call. In doing so, he made arguably the biggest gamble of his career by tackling an unabashedly selfish character who’s patently unlikeable — even as he’s vulnerable and often endearing. Essentially Sandler’s character is the human equivalent of a spoiled onion that still has untainted layers deep down inside, which could be received in a pretty unsavory way.
The gamble, however, paid off. Though Sandler often revels in the rottenness of Howard Ratner, Uncut Gems soars when the actor probes the ongoing battle between the character’s self-serving rottenness and the juicy humanity it frequently overshadows. Balancing that delicate duplicity is obviously no easy feat, yet Sandler does so with dexterity, delivering a knock-out performance that makes you want to smack some sense into his character even as you’re sort of rooting for his success.
That all adds an extra layer of tragedy in the film’s shocking final moments, and is a big part of why many Hollywood insiders believe the former Saturday Night Live star may take home an Oscar at the 2020 Academy Awards. Whether Sandler will actually walk away with a shiny golden statue remains to be seen — particularly as the 2020 Golden Globes have already snubbed both him and Uncut Gems in its nominations.
Still, with his electrifying work in Uncut Gems, Sandler has more than earned a spot in the Best Actor conversation. Imagine what he’d be missing out on if the Safdies gave up on casting him, or if he hadn’t picked up the phone the second time around.
Written by: Looper
