Film Review: Uncut Gems

Sandler reason enough to see stressful new Safdie brothers’ picture

Fast-talking jeweler Howard Ratner (Adam Sandler) peddles his wares.

“You are the most annoying person I have ever met,” Howard Ratner’s soon-to-be ex-wife Dinah (Idina Menzel) tells him midway through Benny and Josh Safdie’s new film Uncut Gems. By that point, you’ll be bound to agree with her. As played by Adam Sandler in a career defining performance, Howard is not exactly pleasant to spend time with. The film, too, can be equally unpleasant: it’s a frenetic, exhausting experience that may leave you emotionally spent. But Sandler is absolutely riveting, and, annoying as Howard may be, he’s a character unlike any we’ve seen before. Sandler’s brilliant portrayal of him is reason alone to give this frenzied picture a chance.

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Film Review: Men, Women & Children

Life is grim, and so is this film

Men-Women-and-Children
Adam Sandler’s Don looks for some extramarital fun in Men, Women & Children.

Jason Reitman disappointed many of his fans with his hackneyed, sugary film Labor Day last fall. Unfortunately, one year later, he still has not returned to top form. His latest effort is a heavy-handed mess of a film called Men, Women & Children, the title of which more aptly describes everyone who should avoid it.

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Live Show Review: Bridge School Benefit at the Shoreline Amphitheater, 10/25/09

The view from 201, Row I
The view from 201, Row I

When I saw the lineup for this year’s Bridge School Benefit, I got excited. When I saw that hardly anyone was buying tickets for Sunday’s version of the show, I waited for the discounts to happen. And when Livenation reminded everyone that they should only buy tickets on Wednesdays by lowering decent pavilion seats to $40 including service charges, I was in.

It turns out Google offers free wifi throughout Mountain View, including here, so I’m hoping to post the first full length review of the show. With that in mind, I’m writing this review during set breaks. Keep reloading or revisiting, and I’ll add bands as I go. Continue reading “Live Show Review: Bridge School Benefit at the Shoreline Amphitheater, 10/25/09”