Punch-Drunk Gem.
135 Mins. Starring: Adam Sandler, Lakeith Stanfield, Julia Fox, Idina Menzel, Eric Bogosian, Keith Williams Richards, Judd Hirsch, The Weeknd & Kevin Garnett. Directors: The Safdie Brothers.
True story. Sometime in my twenty-somethings, 2AM on a rare night on the town, I asked a girl like Mel Gibson in 'Lethal Weapon' if she wanted to come back to mine and watch 'Mr. Deeds'. And call me a fool it was no line or lie. THAT was EXACTLY what we did. Even if at one point I was like, "she's actually watching Mr. Deeds at gone 2 in the morning...I think I love this woman." That's how much I loved Adam Sandler. We all know how much of an undeniable comedy classic 'The Wedding Singer' is and we've all had the 'Happy Gilmore' or 'Billy Madison' debate. We loved his millennial era run when he really was the 'Big Daddy' and even the remote control concept of 'Click' and the emotional ending actually had me in tears at 21, a day before I was about to fly Toronto for a year. "Family comes first" I kept hearing in his trademark scream voice as I boarded the plane the next morning with all my emotional baggage packed...I came back two months later. Thanks Adam. As I write this I'm now in my first month of a year's visa in Tokyo, Japan thinking about someone special. Some people never learn. Like Sandler's character here in what looked like his Oscar home run out of the park, until the Academy showed they were 'Oscars So Not Right' again. But at least as he says his 'Waterboy' mom got one (Kathy Bates brilliant in Clint Eastwood's also Academy underrated story of Atlanta 1996 Olympics hero of a whole other stage, 'Richard Jewell'). But this jewel is from the true school. We may have all grown apart from Sandler sometime between 'Grown Ups' (I didn't even watch the sequel and Shaq is in it) and when he went up the Hollywood Hills as Jack AND Jill. Al Pacino...what where you doing with that hot dog? Hoo-NO! And it seemed like Sandler was retiring to the 'Ridiculous' pastures of Netflix comedies you just scroll past when you end up chilling and watching nothing at all. The 'Murder Mystery' of who killed it needing no Angela Lansbury. But now in one of the best seasons for Oscar pictures Netflix have acquired (this being another amazing A24 ('Moonlight', 'A Ghost Story', 'Waves'...need we go on) indie production piece) the greatest not called a South Korean 'Parasite' and not even nominated to join his fellow serious 'Meyerowitz Stories' with Dustin Hoffman that made that push in the 'Roma' age and the best Academy big-three in the streaming services 'Two Popes', 'Marriage Story' and of course Scorsese, De Niro, Pesci and Pacino's (minus the hot dog) 'The Irishman'.
Punch-drunk and in love if you think this is the first time Sandler has gone all self serious then what are you thinking? Did you forget the Paul Thomas Anderson classic ('Punch-Drunk Love', don't make us spell it out people) the time he mourned over the twin towers and his lost family going toe-to-toe with Don Cheadle in the only decent and dignified 9/11 movie, 'Reign Over Me' (a career underrated best) and of course the aforementioned 'New and Selected' Netflix one? And now Adam is threatening to release another one of his Netflix comedies (even he gets it) if this drama like fellow SNL legend Eddie Murphy's redemptive return in the small smartphone screens 'Dolemite Is My Name' (also stupidly snubbed) doesn't get a nomination. Well...jokes on you. He warned you. Adam in the Big Apple is a classic, complete character here. As New York as the Wu Tang Clan, straight from Shaolin, '36 Chambers' era. It ain't nuthin' to f### with. As new millennium, but still as 90's feeling as Jacob the Jeweller. What you talkin' bout? Fugetaboutit! This shylock trying to water to a whale, Del-Boy flog some blinged Furby's could even be a 'Goodfella', he's so good in this age of 'The Irishman'. Funny how? Like a clown? In canary Gambino under a Morpheus leather trench that's about to offer you the red pearl or blue jewel, Sandler looks straight like Lando without Calrissian's class (he has his own. Who? Both!). With a curly goatee to match that trademark trim and some reaction lenses with as hard and undefined edges as him that look always ready to appraise the latest jewel that buzzes its way into this shop, he more than looks the part of your fan art next cult character with two cotton buds up either bleeding nostril. But that's not it...neither is the trademark crazy cackling like "look at this guy!"
Thurman adrenaline. White knuckle kinetic, anxiety attacks, soaked suits, great garb stripped down to the trunks of your car, cabin fever in the hot glass box of the jewellery shops security enclosure mantrap, this movie moves a million miles a minute with your every freaking twisted and taught nerve. Thumping on your chest like King Kong it doesn't give up. This is more than a movie. It's an effervescent, enraging experience of all the senses. Watch your sixth. As the N.Y.C. Queens own Safdie brothers who knew how to show Batman himself Robert Pattinson a 'Good Time' and are the new Cohen's and their sonic 'Stranger Things' horror and 80's hybrid like score (the raw 'Rain' by a young Madonna playing full blast on a hi-fi in a pivotal plot point precipitates powerfully) take you through the fruits of an outstanding and opaque opal and the labour of Ethiopia that mined it in some 'Blood Diamond' social commentary. All the way through what looks like it's quantum realm of kaleidoscopic, living colour. All the way to the directors camera going right up Adam's asshole. Now if that isn't Academy acting...I don't know what is. As John Carpenter like typography further adds to the 80's horror carpentry suggesting something sinister is shimmering under all that shines. And the opals omens are right, as over eager leaving customers crash through the glass counter until it frosts into fragments for what really is a sign of things to come in the most terrifyingly tense end. One played out to a NBA playoffs match, with all bets off that isn't just epic and exciting to this hoops head as it will either end in heartbreaking or lifting tears of joy or pain. As the epic and expressive mean mugs of a mobbing monologuist, playwright, novelist and historian Eric Bogosian and his horrific heavies (Keith Williams Richards is even scarier than the first time Pesci asked you "funny how" in 'Goodfellas') muscle in on his debts, as smelling blood these loan sharks circle the waters of a New York famous fountain they throw him in like spare change. All whilst a Sprewell braided 'Atlanta' Star Lakeith Williams on the form of his life seems to be playing both sides like the fact that this and his cop role copped in 'Knives Out' deserve dual Oscar glory like Scarlett Johansson's 12 only joining, two time nomination that 'Jojo Rabbit' co-star Sam Rockwell ('Richard Jewell') should have got too. And if that wasn't enough to deal with there's the divorcing of love with wicked Broadway and 'Frozen' star Idina Menzel (*Don't say it. Don't say it*, they need to let it go. *Too late*) with a great put down moment and a dynamite breakout from Julia Fox (no wonder she was nominated for that Gotham Award) who is anything but the other woman as she terrifically shows how toxic abusive take and take relationships can be. But somehow it's still all love. Like the best thing about 'Independence Day' and the only bearable thing about 'Resurgence', Judd Hirsch. Or the 'Blinding Lights' in the big city of a Canadian cameo from The Weeknd and an even better one (because its much more that that...its actually acting...even better than Shaq in 'Kazaam') from Minnesota Timberwolves and Boston Celtics, NBA legend Kevin Garnett. Off-court playing a ridiculously good riff on himself like Keanu Reeves classic comedy cameo in Netflix's 'Always Be My Maybe'. The great Garnett as integral to this movie as the opal that takes everyone's eye from the bids to betting it all on him and it. And just like this seven footer running the lane with the shot clock running down with a race against time and the end of the line, nothing moves like this formidable flow, before the third act buzzer beater looks to throw up a prayer to bank off the glass with either hands thrown up in the air or over your eyes. You willing to bet on which way the ball will fall? Well one's thing for sure. This movie is a sure thing. The Academy may have not appraised this but you should for all it's worth. Flawless. 'Uncut' is an absolute gem. TIM DAVID HARVEY.
Further Filming: 'Good Time', 'Reign Over Me', 'The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected)'.
No comments:
Post a Comment