At the beginning of Uncut Gems, Howard Ratner, a compulsive gambler/diamond dealer, is already getting slapped around by loan shark cronies in his own Manhattan gem showroom. And this is the day his plans are coming together – he’s taking a big risk on a purported rare Ethiopian black opal and he’s betting hard on his newest customer: all-star basketball player Kevin Garnett. Howard’s the type of addict who sees a play wherever he finds it. That’s why a whole melee of gangsters, bookies, and pawnbrokers are eager to collect on his many debts. He’s either a complete idiot, like his soon-to-be-separated wife (Idina Menzel) tells him, or he’s a charismatic mad genius. He’s either gonna win big or die trying. Sometimes it looks like he’s throwing money out the window, but it might just be he’s two steps ahead of where its gonna land.
“It’s a cinema of pure energy and grungy voltage, and the Safdies make it look very easy. This will be the year’s most exciting film. You can take that to the bank.” – Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian
“Uncut Gems is part psychological thriller, part black comedy, part thriller and part dysfunctional extended family drama – and it clicks on all those cylinders.” – Richard Roeper
“Directed with relentless tension and diamond-hard intelligence by Josh and Benny Safdie (who earlier this month won directing honors from the New York Film Critics Circle), Uncut Gems is a thriller and a character study, a tragedy and a blast.” – Justin Chang, Los Angeles Times
