Page 30 - ARUBA TODAY

A30 PEOPLE & ARTS
Wednesday 18 december 2019
‘Uncut Gems’ mines the best of Adam Sandler’s talent

By JOCELYN NOVECK as in “Uncut Gems,” a fre-
Associated Press netic, compulsively watch-
By now, we shouldn’t be able, exhausting and exhil-
too surprised by this cultur- arating collaboration with
al contradiction known as Josh and Benny Safdie.
Adam Sandler. It’s obvious What’s less discussed, per-
that Sandler, the actor, is haps, is what links these
capable of extraordinary performances. In all these
range — not in the tradi- films, Sandler presents the
tional, Meryl Streep sense, predicament of a man-
but a range of incred- child, someone who has
ibly good (“Punch-Drunk aged physically and per-
Love”) to painfully bad (the haps intellectually but not
horrendous “Jack and Jill”) emotionally. How does
and incredibly good again, such a man get through

This image released by A24 shows Adam Sandler in a scene from “Uncut Gems.”
Associated Press

life, and what about the to the similarly claustro- ered in by one of Howard’s
people who have to live phobic Diamond District unofficial collaborators, a
with him? Can he survive, in Manhattan, where such hustler (Lakeith Stanfield)
and can they? In his best gems gleam in glass cases who gets a cut of the ac-
performances, Sandler of- in a warren of small shops, tion. Just like its owner, the
fers a dark, bruising explo- one belonging to jeweler shop itself seems in con-
ration of this state of being and gambling addict How- stant noisy flux, always on
that actually tells us some- ard Ratner (Sandler). the brink of catastrophe.
thing. The year is 2012. Kevin Gar- The buzzer system never
And this is indeed one of his nett is still playing for the seems to work, and this
best. Boston Celtics and The takes on increasing sig-
“Uncut Gems” declares Weeknd is a relative new- nificance; visitors can be-
itself right away with an comer to the music scene. come trapped in the tiny
extraordinary opening Both men play fictional- enclosed foyer leading to
credits sequence, taking ized versions of themselves the outside. The basketball
us from the claustrophobic here, Garnett in an espe- connection is also signifi-
tunnels of a mine in Ethio- cially pivotal role. cant; Howard is addicted
pia, where precious gems One day, Garnett pays a to the sport and also, unfor-
emerge from volcanic ash, visit to Howard’s shop, ush- tunately, to betting on it.q
Chris Brown, Migos, DaBaby to

perform during Super Bowl week

PIA Music Festival, which
takes place Jan.31-Feb.1
at Marlins Park.
Others slated to perform
during the two-day event
include Megan Thee Stal-
lion, Davido, Gunna and
Shenseea. More perform-
ers will be announced
later. Super Bowl 54 will
take place on Feb. 2 at
Hard Rock Stadium in Mi-
ami Gardens, Florida. Sha-
kira and Jennifer Lopez
will headline the halftime
In this June 23, 2019 file photo, DaBaby performs “Sugar” at show. Lady Gaga, Guns
the BET Awards at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.
Associated Press N’ Roses, Maroon 5, DJ
Khaled and the Chain-
By The Associated Press Bowl week in Miami. smokers are some of
NEW YORK (AP) — Chris VEW Live! announced the artists who have an-
Brown, Migos and DaBaby Tuesday that the acts will nounced they are holding
are the latest stars slated join Card B as headliners concerts in Miami days
to perform during Super for the inaugural VEWTO- before the big game.q