Uncut Gems (2019)
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A gambling-addicted jeweler risks everything to secure a high-stakes win with a rare gemstone.
The story
In 2012, Howard Ratner, a jeweler and gambling addict, operates a shop in New York City's Diamond District. He is struggling to pay off significant gambling debts to a loan shark. His life is complicated by a pending divorce and a complicated relationship with a coworker. When a rare black opal arrives at his shop, Howard becomes entangled in a high-stakes situation involving a basketball star who wants to use the gem as a lucky charm. Howard must navigate a series of escalating risks and desperate moves to secure the gem and settle his debts before his situation becomes untenable.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Howard Ratner, a jeweler in New York City's Diamond District, is desperate to pay off gambling debts to his loan shark brother-in-law, Arno. When a rare black opal arrives, Howard allows basketball star Kevin Garnett to borrow it as a lucky charm, taking Garnett's championship ring as collateral. Howard bets on Garnett's performance, but the win is complicated by the fact that the bet was made with money owed to Arno. After being harassed by Arno's thugs and facing a crumbling personal life, Howard's situation escalates. He eventually discovers the opal's value is lower than expected, but a desperate gamble leads to a final, high-stakes moment. After a series of tense events, including a confrontation with his girlfriend Julia and a tense auction, Howard manages to secure enough money to pay off his debt. However, the final bet on a three-way parlay results in a massive win of $1.2 million. In the ensuing chaos, his enemies are trapped by security doors, but a frantic henchman shoots and kills Howard.
- First release year
- 2019
- Runtime (minutes)
- 135
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Benny Safdie
- Genres
- crime thriller; drama
- Tone and mood
- anxious; tense
- Setting
- New York City's Diamond District in 2012.
- Premise and plot tags
- gambling; jewelry; crime
- Reception
- The film was a box-office success and received acclaim, especially for Adam Sandler's performance, which was praised for its intensity and high-stakes energy.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 91% · scale: percentage · review count: 351; Metacritic · score: 93 · scale: 100 · review count: 56
- Awards and nominations
- Top Ten Films of 2019 · National Board of Review · 2019 · win
- Production trivia
- The film's title is a metaphor for finding beauty in 'rough' things.; The film influenced the visual language of the Pixar film Inside Out 2.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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