Category Archives: Josh Safdie

2019 Films, Adam Sandler, Benny Safdie, Crime Thriller, Idina Menzel, Independent, Independent Thriller, Jake Ryan, John Amos, Josh Safdie, Judd Hirsch, Julia Fox, Kevin Garnett, LaKeith Stanfield, Mike Francesa, Natasha Lyonne, The Weeknd, Thriller, Tilda Swinton

Uncut Gems-2019

Leave a comment

Uncut Gems-2019

Director Ben Safdie, Josh Safdie

Starring Adam Sandler, Idina Menzel

Scott’s Review #1,049

Reviewed August 5, 2020

Grade: A-

The Safdie brothers have quickly emerged as a directing force to be reckoned with, producing two “gems” in only three years.

Co-written by Ronald Bronstein, the final product is jagged, fast-paced, and frighteningly intense.

Uncut Gems (2019) follows up the similarly themed Good Time (2017), giving star Adam Sandler his most significant role yet.

Yes, his performance even rivals the brilliant one in Punch-Drunk Love (2002), leading him to his first Independent Spirit Award win for Best Male Lead.

He was robbed of an Oscar nomination. We can’t have everything.

Playing a loud-mouthed Jew is hardly new territory for the actor. Think of most of his screwball comedies from the 1990s and 2000s before he delved into serious actor territory. In the dreadful Jack and Jill (2011), he played two of them!

But a trip down memory lane is surely not what the actor prefers; instead, he undoubtedly prefers to veer off course to more mature movies for the latter part of his film career. Uncut Gems made money, so let’s hope so.

We meet Howard Ratner (Sandler) following his first-ever colonoscopy, which leaves him anxious and irritable.

On better days, he is needier and a somewhat lovable teddy bear as he carries on an affair with his employee, Julia (Julia Fox), and his estranged wife Dinah (Idina Menzel), who has agreed to a divorce after Passover.

Howard runs KMH, an upscale jewelry store in the Diamond District section of New York City. How he manages to land and carry on with both gorgeous ladies is a mystery, but Dinah is a kept woman, and Julia’s father is in the jewelry industry, thus explaining why Howard is.

There is something particularly charismatic about Howard that draws other characters and the viewers to him.

As revealed at the beginning of the film and the main storyline, Howard has made a deal with Ethiopian Jewish miners in Africa to obtain a valuable black opal and sell it to him at a low price, presumably so that he can make a substantial profit from it in the United States.

It is also quickly established that Howard is a mess, owing $100,000 to his brother-in-law and loan shark. To complicate matters, his shady business associate brings basketball star Kevin Garnett into Howard’s shop.

After spotting the opal, he asks to borrow it for one night with his NBA Championship ring as collateral. This cannot end well, and it doesn’t.

The subsequent activity in Uncut Gems is crude, foul-mouthed, and off-putting to some. I have friends who watched eight or twelve minutes of it and either turned it off or left the theater in a huff.

If you are expecting a comedy rife with potty jokes or other juvenile humor, look elsewhere.

This is the real deal, with a deadly ending that is impossible to imagine. I loved the settings of Manhattan, Long Island, and Mohegan Sun in Connecticut the best.

The Safdie brothers have two major knacks. They can craft tense, edge-of-your-seat crime thrillers like nobody’s business with a pulsating backdrop and a herky-jerky editing style. They can also catapult A-list actors teetering on the verge of being typecast for specific roles into the deep waters of creativity and sink or swim risk.

No better example than Robert Pattinson’s risky turn as a grizzled bank robber in Good Time (2017), shedding his sterile, pretty-boy image that The Twilight (2008-2013) films brought him. This led to his fantastic turn in The Lighthouse (2019).

The soon-to-be household name directing team does not deserve all the credit, though, even though the men serve in a variety of key positions, including acting, editing, shooting, mixing sound, and producing their films.

Sandler has become an interesting and versatile actor as he forges into the drama vein. Happy to roll up his sleeves and do an indie film for little money (like he needs it!), he proves that an unlikeable character can have hints of likability, black humor, and pizzazz.

He completely embodies Howard, making the audience love and hate him. He balances two women, schemes to get rich, and neglects his kid’s school play, yet he is appealing.

Let’s ceremoniously proclaim 2019 as the year that stars previously known for generic films, determined to break out with challenging and fantastic roles, were shunned by the Academy.

Jennifer Lopez, shockingly snubbed for Hustlers (2019), is being punished for years of mediocre films such as Maid in Manhattan (2002) and Monster-in-Law (2005), which join her compadre Sandler in two of the biggest snubs of the decade, with Uncut Gems (2019).

Perhaps an Oscar will be in their future if they stay the course and remain true to the work.

Independent Spirit Award Nominations: 3 wins- Best Feature, Best Male Lead-Adam Sandler (won), Best Director-Benny Safdie and Josh Safdie (won), Best Screenplay, Best Editing (won)

2017 Films, Barkhad Abdi, Benny Safdie, Crime Drama, Drama, Independent, Independent Drama, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Josh Safdie, Robert Pattinson, Taliah Lennice Webster

Good Time-2017

Leave a comment

Good Time-2017

Director Ben Safdie, Joshua Safdie

Starring Robert Pattinson, Ben Safdie

Scott’s Review #767

Reviewed June 5, 2018

Grade: B+

Every so often, an actor who is known for either making mainstream films or portraying a mediocre character risks being typecast.

Fortunately, actor Robert Pattinson, known chiefly as the heartthrob from the trite Twilight films, has been given the best career role. The actor hits the jackpot with a challenging and edgy performance in the fast-paced, independent crime drama Good Time (2017).

The film is a perfect ride, and directors Ben and Joshua Safdie successfully provide excellent tension and compelling action scenes (Ben even gives a worthy supporting performance as a mentally challenged character).

The overall tone of the film is that of an edge-of-your-seat experience.

As enjoyable and taut as the film is, a few minor criticisms must be mentioned below.

Good Time begins with Nick Nikas (Ben Safdie) being quizzed by a therapist. They are quickly interrupted by Nick’s brother Connie (Pattinson), who removes him from the facility so that he can assist with a bank heist.

When the attempt goes awry and Nick is arrested, Connie does his best to spring his brother from jail and then from the hospital following an altercation with another inmate. All the while, Connie must also evade the police as he forms a strange connection with a sixteen-year-old girl, Crystal (Taliah Webster).

The fun part of Good Time is that the film is fast-paced and filled with twists and turns. Taking place largely over the course of one night, we are compelled by Connie’s journey and wonder if he will outrun the cops.

Although it is a standard thriller, Good Time rises slightly above this ranking due to its wonderful New York City setting and numerous exterior scenes—this is a major plus.

The film’s look also garners props. With a slick yet gritty and grainy feel, the camera angles are quick and plentiful. This is a great tool to keep the action going at lightning speed, and the editing deserves kudos, too.

The intensity and tension run rampant throughout.

A good example is the bank robbery scene—as the teller disappears into the vault to get the requested amount of money, she takes what seems like an eternity to return, leaving the audience (and Connie) wondering if she has alerted the authorities.

Otherwise, the film is helped immensely by the acting performance of Pattinson, who owns the film. Having not seen him in anything before, I was surprised at how good he was.

I thought of him as more of a matinee idol than a serious actor, but I was proven wrong. Grizzled and temperamental but a decent guy at times, Pattinson’s Connie is loyal to a fault, putting his brother first and foremost.

Fans of Captain Phillips (2013) will be delighted to see Barkhad Abdi cast in the small yet pivotal role of an amusement park security guard.

Nominated for the Best Supporting Actor award for Captain Phillips, the Somali-American actor has found steady work in film since his acclaimed debut performance. In his role in Good Time, the character is instrumental in kicking off the final act that leads to the downfall of at least one other character.

A few minor but notable flaws (somewhat unnecessary) that Good Time contains are worth mentioning.

Perplexing to me is the casting of Jennifer Jason Leigh as Connie’s girlfriend, Corey. Decades older than Connie, Corey is written pretty much as a nitwit attempting to use her mother’s credit card to bail out Nick.

The film does not mention the age difference or provide much meat to the role—Jason Leigh deserves better than a throwaway role like this.

Otherwise, none of the female characters are treated exceptionally well. Connie frequently directs or shouts at either Corey or even Crystal, eliciting a slightly off-putting “man in charge” vibe.

Also, a gay slur uttered by Connie is thrown into a scene for seemingly no reason, which surprises me in 2017. Still, something makes the audience root for Connie while we still want him to get his punishment.

Good Time (2017) provides quality entertainment in a specified genre with good acting.

With a weird Ocean’s Eleven style (only with one prominent character), the bank robbery theme will satisfy those in the mood for a good heist film.

The film’s title is a mystery (is it irony?), and I’m not sure it works, but overall, it is a perfect watch.

Independent Spirit Award Nominations: Best Director-Safdie Brothers, Best Male Lead-Robert Pattinson, Best Supporting Male-Benny Safdie, Best Supporting Female-Taliah Lennie Webster, Best Editing