We know: we’re a little late. But what could be better than the birthday of an absolute movie star? Diamonds in the roughAdam Sandler (celebrated today) to debut the Safdie Brothers’ third feature film?
The film was released in theaters in the United States (thanks to the distribution of the visionary A24) at the end of 2019, and then completely entered the catalog Netflix, has become one of the discoveries of the last decade. Capable of compelling critics and audiences alike, the film soon entered the pop imagination with its gripping and crazy story told in a way that only two young directors can. So here’s our review of it journey The New Yorker by Safdie Bros.
Diamonds in the Rough: The Plot of New York Delirium
Howard Rantner (Adam Sandler) is a Jewish jeweler from New York. Drowning in debt, obsessed with gambling and an inexorably falling apart marriage, Ratner finds his hands on a precious black opal obtained through the exploitation of African miners and smuggling. Intending to put the jewel up for auction to pay off a large debt to his greedy brother-in-law Arno (Eric Bogosian), the jeweler soon… loses control about his actions, his work and, more generally, about his life.
First, Howard allows the basketball star to borrow the opal. Kevin Garnett, convinced of the gem’s elusive magical powers, convinced by the player’s token: his NBA championship ring (which the jeweler had no hesitation in betting on in one of his bets). Then, to get his jewel back, he is dragged to a concert. Weekend, where he sees his lover Julia (Julia Fox) in the bath with the pop star. The jeweler, increasingly tied to his bids, manages to put his piece up for auction, convincing his father-in-law Gooey (the endless Judd Hirsch) to bid and raise the price.
The attempt fails: Gooey actually buys the gem at a high price, and thus Howard is forced to finally sell the opal to Kevin Garnett to correct the mistake. When it seems like Ratner’s life (and money) is finally in his hands again, he can’t resist last, very risky bet. The most reckless. Last.
Safdie x Sandler: an amazing couple
After a crazy (and very successful) Good timesI Safdie Brothers (among other things, their third film seems to be on the way, again starring Adam Sandler, here’s our article) they were called upon to make an important choice, decisive for their careers as directors: to continue to follow the model of the previous film, confirming the style, which brought them fame, or is moving away from it, perhaps turning towards more “canonical” cinema. It was not an easy choice, but the decision was clear, as always. Diamonds in the rough it not only continues and refines the style already emphasized in the film starring Robert Pattinson, but also sublimates it, radicalizes it and makes it even more effective and personal.
Two young directors invested Diamonds in the rough all the traits that made them famous: fast editing, frantic interpretations, calculated confusion, successive shots that follow characters through the human vortex that surrounds the films. All this is accompanied by a soundtrack that combines various sounds: from pop music to electronic and disco music (Gigi D’Agostino following the crazy climax the ending is ironically perfect) and this contributes to the creation of an unsettling and frantic atmosphere.
All these characteristics are ideal for the purpose: reconstructionNew York atmosphere early 2000s, the real co-protagonist of the film, is perfect, as is the madness, madness and stupidity of the main character, directed by the monumental Adam Sandler, the real “diamond” of the work.
Adam Sandler: what if…?
Right on the test Adam Sandlerin fact, all the work is based. His character is the center of a whirlpool of events that leads Howard Ratner to self-destruction. The jeweler never stops, he is always on the move: he walks, talks, shouts, gesticulates, sells, buys, bets, lies, fights, runs. Like a crazy top, he goes from creditors to pop stars, from basketball champions to his lover’s wardrobe, trying to scrape together the missing money to pay off some debt or, more likely, raise the commission on the next bet. A tornado in which the actor moves deftly and expressively.
Nominated for a Golden Globe and other awards (but not an Oscar, unfortunately), Sandler took home the highly prestigious Best Actor award at the film festival. National Review Board. A success that spontaneously begs the question: What would Adam Sandler’s career have been like if he had more consistently dedicated himself to worthwhile work? Possibly one of the greatest what if recent history of cinema.
Diamonds in the Rough: Pop Culture in the Service of History
Diamonds in the rough this is a demonstration that the unifying love for pop culture modernity with undeniable artistic quality is possible. Characters like Kevin Garnett and The Weeknd are perfectly integrated into the story without being superficial or redundant. Their faces, well known in global popular culture, are fundamental to what is likely the Safdie brothers’ goal.
Myself The history of New York is both stunning and entertaining, after all, we should not forget about the prologue and conclusion of the work. Behind the ploys of American millionaires, immersed in their wealth and blinded by their superficiality, lies a whole world of exploitation. The diamonds over which US capitalists argue are stained with the blood of anonymous workers, whose fate is alien to the protagonists, who are only interested in their frivolity. A world that even we, the audience, tend to forget about during our feverish work. But in the end, both directors remind us of this.