Uncut Gems Review – Gambling, Love, and Crime
Directed by the Safdie brothers in 2019, Uncut Gems quickly became one of the most talked-about movies of the year. Although the expectations for the movie were as high as always, considering that A24 produced it, some fans didn’t like the fact that Adam Sandler was going to star in a serious film. However, did the movie meet the expectations? Was the film based on a true story or a person? Learn that and more interesting facts about the movie from our Uncut Gems review!
It’s safe to say that many people were shocked, both by the plot and the actors’ play. The action was so thrilling and exhausting that many viewers would label the movie as a two-hour-long panic attack. People in theaters were delighted that Adam Sandler “didn’t play himself.” Along with Lakeith Stanfield, Julia Fox, and Idina Menzel, the indie film was a success, and it was highly acclaimed by Rotten Tomatoes and IMDb. Let’s dive into the plot and see what the movie is all about.
Uncut Gems Plot Summary and Trailer
The beginning of the movie takes place in Ethiopia, Africa, where Jewish miners unearth an incredibly rare black opal from a Welo mine. The workers are awed by the rock’s beauty and the way it reflected light. The opal would cost millions of dollars. Moments later, the spotlight points at Howard Ratner (Adam Sandler), who is a Jewish gambling addict and runs a jewellery store called KMH in New York City’s Diamond District. Howard’s family life is quite complicated – he’s planning a divorce with his wife Dinah (Idina Menzel) while living with his girlfriend Julia (Julia Fox).
Howard Ratner is struggling with a $100,000 debt he owes to his brother-in-law, Arno (Eric Bogosian). Early in the movie, Howard’s business associate, Demany (Lakeith Stanfield), brings the basketball superstar Kevin Garnett (himself) to the store. While the sports legend is in the shop, a rare black opal arrives. Kevin Garnett loves the way it looks and says that the rock speaks to him. The star insists on bringing the stone to his next game for luck, and Howard agrees in exchange for Garnett’s 2008 NBA championship ring. The NBA legend would have to return the ring to Ratner the next day.
Things get especially challenging for Howie when he decides to pawn the champion’s ring in order to place a big basketball bet – he decided to risk it all. However, Arno’s bodyguards were following Howard the entire time, and they don’t like the idea that he decides to risk his money instead of paying off his debt. On the same night, while Howard is watching the game, he notices that chances are leaning towards his guess. He turned out right – he made $600,000. Unfortunately for him, Arno’s bodyguards went on and cancelled the bet beforehand. They didn’t trust a gambler after all.
Furthermore, the bodyguards kidnapped him, beat him up, and locked him naked in the trunk of his car. The next day, Kevin Garnett doesn’t show up with the rare black opal, and Howard finds that his girlfriend, Julia, is cheating on him with a famous pop star known as the Weekend. Eventually, Howie finally gets his rare opal back to him, and he puts it up for an auction. However, there are only major spoilers ahead and a fantastic twist at the end. To enjoy the movie at its fullest, we would recommend watching it!
Uncut Gems True Story – Did It All Happen?
Since the movie hit the theatres, there have been numerous Uncut Gems true story debates between fans. Who can blame them – the script is perfectly written, and the flow seems natural, almost as if it’s a real-life story. The basketball games, the celebrities, and the bets all seem too realistic. Unfortunately, unlike some of the best blackjack movies of all time Uncut Gems is not entirely based on a true story.
However, the Safdie brothers have revealed that Uncut Gems is actually inspired by a real person named Howard. The brothers have learned about this particular person from stories told by their dad while they were young. Their father worked in the Diamond District of New York as a runner, dispatching wholesale jewellery to places like pawn shops and jewellery stores for about eight years. Apparently, the real-life Howard was also a gambler with quite an interesting character. Is the movie based on a real person? – Yes. Is the story real? – No.
Dedicated moviegoers have been wondering whether or not the black opal in the film really exists. The impressive rock was realistically portrayed by a beautiful gem, but the rare black opal doesn’t exist in the real world. At least none have been found yet. The next question that people love to ask after seeing the movie is, “how much was the opal worth in Uncut Gems?” The rare gem was supposed to be worth over $1 million, but unfortunately for Howard Ratner, the auction appraisers disagreed with him.
Although the gem is a movie prop, it is made from real opals. The basketball footage we saw on Howard’s TV was also real, but it happened a decade ago. However, the bets’ odds levels were inflated for dramatic purposes, but the amounts he won were quite realistic. UK punters often grab big prizes from the best casino operators in the UK. Nevertheless, fans around the world were excited to learn that the movie was partially based on a true story!
Movie Cast, Rating, Filming Location, and More
“People go to the movies to see their favourite stars, but some stay for the plot.” That saying couldn’t be more accurate with this film. We shall continue our Uncut Gems review with a broad overview of the cast, rating, set, awards, and more! The five main characters in the movie are Adam Sandler, Julie Fox, Lakeith Stanford, Idina Menzel, and Eric Bogosian. Although the flick was expected to be torn apart by the critics, it was quite the opposite – they loved it! The film was also nominated 76 times, and it won 24 awards.
| Name | Uncut Gems |
| Release Date | January 22, 2020 |
| Genre | Crime, Dark Comedy |
| Nominations | 76 |
| Awards | 24 |
| IMDB Rating | ⭐ 7.4/10 |
| Rotten Tomatoes Rating | 🍅 92/100 |
| Budget | $19 Million |
| Box Office | $50 Million |
| Director | Josh Safdie, Benny Safdie |
| Screenplay | Josh Safdie, Benny Safdie, Ronald Bronstein |
| Starring | Adam Sandler, Julie Fox, Lakeith Stanford, Idina Menzel |
| Running Time | 2h 15m |
The majority of the new A24 film was filmed in Manhattan, New York. However, some scenes were set at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. Although Uncut Gems is closely related to betting, the film is not among the best gambling movies and tv shows. The reason for that is mainly because due to the smaller box office size. However, even though the movie didn’t make hundreds of millions, Uncut Gems managed to stay in the hearts of many and was perhaps the most talked-about movie in 2019.
Interesting Facts About The Movie
The Safdie brothers’ production has always been quite interesting to explore – they made sure there are quite a few interesting facts about the hit movie. Did you know that Adam Sandler initially turned down the role? The Safdie brothers offered the part to Sandler in the far 2011, but he declined because the movie would be set far in the future, and he didn’t think the role would be age-appropriate for him. Uncut Gems was planned ten years before it was produced – 2009.
If you love listening to Queen, the chances are high that you’ve seen the Bohemian Rhapsody movie. Interestingly enough, Howard Ratner’s house in Uncut Gems is the same one that Freddie Mercury (Rami Malek) used to live in. Safdie brothers’ film also gave Adam Sandler an opportunity to set himself a new record – the highest amount of F-bombs dropped in two hours. Uncut Gems is in 4th place, right after The Wolf of Wall Street with 406 swear words. Finally, Howard Ratner’s son wasn’t really gambling; it was just a script, so no underage gambling was involved.
Where Can You Watch Uncut Gems Online?
When we say Uncut Gems was indeed a hit – we mean it. The movie was being shown in every big cinema and theatre in the world. To this day, you can see the film in the online space on many platforms. For our Uncut Gems review, we’ve researched various websites and companies, and we found the best ones for you. We’ll be looking at the six most popular streaming services which allow you to watch the movie at its highest quality for less than $10.
| Netflix | Yes |
| Amazon Prime | Yes |
| iTunes | Yes |
| FandangoNOW | Yes |
| Reelgood | Yes |
| Hulu | Yes |
Uncut Gems truly deserves its spot in the best Netflix gambling movies. Nowadays, you can watch the movie on many websites. However, we recommend using one of the platforms listed above, simply because they are highly reputable, they provide high-quality streaming, they’re fully legal, and their prices are generally low.
Gambling in Uncut Gems – What Types of Betting You See
The Uncut Gems true story inspiration was mostly about gambling, bargaining, and parley. It’s only right that we give justice to our favourite wagering activities and tell you a little more about the betting that can be seen in the movie. Howard Ratner is mostly betting on sports like basketball; he is not playing on platforms like the best online casinos in the US. However, he’s constantly risking his money with auctions, risky deals, and incredibly high bets on basketball games.
Although Howard Ratner was quite successful with his gigantic bets, we discourage putting all your savings at stake. Emotional betting can either make you or break you, but unfortunately, the latter occurs much more often. That’s why all of the top gambling sites in the UK are supporting responsible gaming organisations like GamCare and BeGambleAware that help fight and prevent betting addiction. When it comes to betting, we always recommend creating a strategy, a budget plan, and sticking to them.
Frequently Asked Questions
With our Uncut Gems review coming to an end, we’ve decided to make a short, but detailed section with all the commonly asked questions about the movie. We’ve had our researchers answer each and every query for you. We hope you’ve learned a lot of interesting facts!
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