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On the podcast this week, Steven and Sean are ruining our damn lives by not knowing when to just freaking stop with our good friend and special guest, the inimitable Landon Coats! This week, we\\u2019re talking about the 2019 film from the Safdie Brothers, Uncut Gems.

Ugh, I need to take a shower. This movie isn\\u2019t going to leave you feeling bright, chipper, and clean by the end of it. I mean, content warning: if you or someone you know suffers from a debilitating addiction issue, then this film may not be for you. That is, unless watching someone spiral all the way down the bottomest of rock bottoms is an effective deterrent for you. If that\\u2019s what you need, then this one could be your saving grace.

It sure is something to watch another human being do everything they can to ruin their life. All shown over an agonizing two hours and fifteen minutes. Except it\\u2019s more tragic than that\\u2014Howard Ratner clearly isn\\u2019t able to control himself. It\\u2019s obvious he doesn\\u2019t like getting beat up, pissing off his family, or losing more money in a matter of hours than most people will make in an entire year. Who would enjoy that? Yet, he continues to throw away whatever life-saving breaks he\\u2019s given.

The guy has a serious gambling addiction, and it\\u2019s everyone around him who has to suffer the most. He gets a quick (albeit dreadful) out at the end of the film.

This is a tough watch, and yet, it\\u2019s one of the most rewarding films of the year. It\\u2019s a complex depiction of a side of humanity that none of us want to ever witness. We turn away and hide from addiction because it\\u2019s uncomfortable to deal with. Unless you turn this film off, there\\u2019s no turning away from Adam Sandler\\u2019s character.

The Safdie brothers deserve every good thing that happens to them for their work in crafting this gruesome masterwork. However, it\\u2019s clear that Sandler is the star of this film, no doubt about it. There should be no end to the praise he receives for his exhausting, complex, deep performance. It\\u2019s a damn shame that he wasn\\u2019t given even an Oscar nomination for his performance because it was the best of the entire year. Our hats are off to him.

This is a difficult film to watch, but if you can stomach it, you\\u2019re going to witness something special. This is an experience.

(Recorded on November 16, 2020)

Links to Stuff We Mentioned:

Uncut Gems - IMDb

Uncut Gems trailer - YouTube

Can\\u2019t Lie on the Internet | State Farm - YouTube

Adam Sandler - IMDb

Daniel Day-Lewis - IMDb

Steven Soderbergh - IMDb

Let Them All Talk - IMDb

Punch-Drunk Love - IMDb

Hubie Halloween - IMDb

Billy Madison - IMDb

That's My Boy - IMDb

Murder Mystery - IMDb

The Ridiculous 6 - IMDb

Sandy Wexler - IMDb

Taylor Lautner - IMDb

Pixels - IMDb

100% Fresh - Netflix

Little Women - IMDb