Tag: Josh Safdie

Movie Review – ‘Uncut Gems’ – “Walking the Edge”

Directed by The Safdie Brothers (Josh & Benny)
Written by Ronald Bronstein & The Safdie Brothers
Cast: Adam Sandler, Kevin Garnett, Idina Menzel, Lakeith Stanfield, Julia Fox, Eric Bogosian, The Weeknd, Paloma Elsesser, Keith Williams Richards, Judd Hirsch, Mike Francesa, Noa Fisher, Pom Klementieff
Soundtrack: Daniel Lopatin

After Good Time came out a couple of years ago, I’ve been voraciously excited to see what the Safdie brothers would do next, so much so that despite seeing the trailer for Uncut Gems approximately a hundred times (What can I say? I go to Alamo Drafthouse a lot), my appetite never once wavered.

I’m sure I’ve said this before, but there’s a spirit of genuine New York City filmmaking that has existed since at least the 1950s, and I’m not just talking about mainstream directors like Martin Scorsese (who’s an executive producer on Uncut Gems; game recognize game) and William Friedkin, but people like Larry Cohen, William Lustig, and James Glickenhaus throughout the 70s, 80s, and 90s as well.

For my money, no filmmakers today carry this torch as brightly and as authentically as Benny and Josh Safdie, along with their writing partner Ronald Bronstein. While it can be argued if Uncut Gems is their best film (after all, Good Time is such an unrelenting, compounding assault on the senses, and I say that with love), it is their most mature film in the sense that they are clearly applying every lesson they’ve learned in the past while still trying something new.

Without saying what it is, the intro to Uncut Gems is reminiscent of the way Friedkin opens such films as The Exorcist and Sorcerer, and I really appreciated that, but the truly ambitious element of the movie is the recording of all the overlapping dialogue, which is a very Robert Altman move, and not an inappropriate one given that Uncut Gems might be the best gambling movie in 45 years (that being Altman’s 1974 opus, California Split).

Let me be clear though, despite all my talk of spiritual continuum and stylistic homages, Uncut Gems is a decidedly independent and original film, so for all the talk about the death of cinema these days, rest assured, there are still life signs to be found, this movie among them (It’s also a surprisingly accessible film, at least by Safdie brothers’ standards, although, you know, maybe don’t take grandma and the kids. Star Wars this is not).

Of course, despite the strength of the filmmaking, the gritty allure of Darius Khondji’s cinematography, and the mastery of Daniel Lopatin’s electronic score, I’d be absolutely remiss if I didn’t at least mention the performances.

Say what you will about Adam Sandler (God knows I’ve said plenty), he absolutely nails this role, but it’s a team effort as well: Lakeith Stanfield puts in his usual good shift; the great Eric Bogosian is properly menacing without being arch; but, for me, the unsung hero of the cast is Keith Williams Richards as Bogosian’s number one lieutenant (Never heard of him? Me neither, but he’s great in this). In addition, there are a few fun cameos spaced throughout; some you may already be aware of, some that require a little digging.

So, if you’re looking for something beyond the usual Hollywood fare this holiday season, I highly recommend Uncut Gems. It’s one of the best of the year, hands down.

Rating: ★★★★☆

Movie Review – ‘Good Time’ – Break On Through

Directed by The Safdie Brothers (Benny & Josh)
Written by Ronald Bronstein & Joshua Safdie
Cast: Robert Pattinson, Benny Safdie, Taliah Webster, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Barkhad Abdi, Necro, Peter Verby, Rose Gregorio, Eric Paykert, Rachel Black, Robert Clohessy, Craig muMs Grant, George Lee Miles, Roy James Wilson
Soundtrack: Daniel Lopatin

I know I’ve expressed similar sentiments before, but when I first saw the trailer for Good Time, I didn’t really know what to make of it (mainly, I was confused as to what Robert Pattinson was doing in this mysterious, probably low budget, urban crime thriller; although it’s not the first time he’s been confounding).  As time went on, however, it began to grow on me, and I became more excited.

Then I made the terrible mistake of putting on a couple of other Safdie Brothers films for research sake, and I became much less excited.  I mean, I don’t know if you’ve ever seen Daddy Longlegs or Heaven Knows What, but they are definitely not what I’d call “feel-good” pieces (not to mention the glut of unlikable characters, obviously non-professional actors, the out-of-nowhere full-frontal female nudity, and general sense of discomfort while watching).

However, I do pride myself on going into every movie I review with a clean slate, and I’m especially glad I did in this case, because Good Time, while not necessarily “fun” as the title might suggest (or, rather, you might infer), is nothing less than a compelling breakthrough effort from these young directors (and their writing collaborator, Ronald Bronstein).

Love them or hate them, Benny and Josh Safdie know New York City (the real city, where real people walk and talk and live and breathe; not that Hollywood version), which is a core strength of this film.  Honestly, Good Time is a neon-soaked William Friedkin-meets-Michael Mann fever dream (or is it a Tangerine Dream?), with all of the street sense of the 1970s and 80s, and all of the digital sheen of our post-9/11 age.

That said, I’m not sure exactly how much we’d have to work with if not for the presence of one Mr. Robert Pattinson.  To say he “commands the screen” would be an understatement.  Not to say that he’s completely alone; Benny Safdie himself turns in a striking performance as Pattinson’s brother, there’s a brief and effective appearance from Captain Phillips’ Barkhad Abdi, and even some of the non-professionals pay off, but from start-to-finish Pattinson is electrically captivating.  I don’t know if he’ll get any major awards buzz, but he probably should, because this is his movie, period.

One element I must discuss is the score, which is mostly a strength but also somewhat of a weakness.  The style is fine, a welcome homage to the electronic scores of days gone by (Tangerine Dream, Giorgio Moroder, etc.), but at times it’s just straight up overbearing in its usage.  Not an unforgivable sin, but definitely noticeable, especially towards the beginning of the movie.

As I said before though, Good Time is a tremendous breakthrough effort for the Safdie Brothers, and it’s nice to see what these young filmmakers can do with a more of a budget (which they put to good use).  The story feels real and fresh, and it spirals out of control with genuine surprises along the way.

I’m not sure how well it will play with general audiences around the country (there’s one scene in particular that is hair-raisingly uncomfortable), but, for my money, it’s one of the most earnest NYC movies I’ve seen in some time, which is worth something.

Give it a look if you can find it.

Rating: ★★★★☆

P.S.
The credits play over the end of the last scene of the movie.  Not really a stinger, not necessarily worth sticking around for, but it’s there.