The Safdie Brothers and their obsession with ‘uncut gems’
Perfect character studies rely on imperfections
The Safdie Brothers have fast become one of my favourite creators/directors — a sentiment that’s grown more and more as their work has begun to shift ever-so-slightly into the mainstream.
I think part of their fame is due to a very distinct footprint in both of their newer films: a now-staple synth soundtrack (which I thought was very reminiscent of Ridley Scott’s Bladerunner), tight ‘race against time’ screenplays and gorgeous cinematography. They’re able to create gritty, realistic worlds while adding style and a hint of surrealism to make it compelling. But above all, they leave you with unforgettable characters.
Connie Nikas: Us Against The World
Good Time features Robert Pattinson as Connie Nikas, a bank robber who embarks on a crime-riddled journey to bail his developmentally disabled brother out of jail after a heist gone wrong.
Connie is as slimy as it gets. He exploits his brother Nick (played by Benny Safdie himself) when he forcefully pulls him into the heist, and also his girlfriend — whom he treats like a personal ATM. Life and relationships are transactional, and he takes them one exchange at a time.
From the beginning of the movie, we are presented with Nick’s vulnerability and Connie’s insistence to act his saviour even when he doesn’t have the means to do so. Their codependency as siblings forms the basis of the film: presenting themselves as a duo that is constantly fighting the system; fighting for each other because no one else will. There’s an underlying weariness to Connie’s desperation — he commits crimes because he believes he has no choice.
Connie’s defining moment arrives as he watches TV with an underage girl in a house where he takes refuge. He knows she can be vital in helping him reach his brother by loaning her car and despite the complete inappropriateness of the moment, he convinces her to accompany him on his journey.
“I think something very important is happening and it’s deeply connected to my purpose.”
In awe of his mystery and his way with words, she can’t help but agree — becoming yet another facilitator in his path. As an audience member, it becomes a matter of reconciling his manipulation with his admirable determination to free his brother — the combination of which creates a remarkably complex character.
Howard Ratner: This Is How You Win
Uncut Gems features Adam Sandler as Howard Ratner — an eccentric diamond district jeweller addicted to gambling.
Howard is manic about business — spending the film jumping from one money-making avenue to the next. If Connie loves his brother, Howard loves a payday. His life is consumed by his bets and his star opal — the ‘uncut gem’ which is almost a character of its own in the film.
“The dinosaur, that’s right. The dinosaurs are f**king staring at this thing. It’s a hundred and ten million years old, at the least.”
Howard speaks in hyperbole, always looking to make his next sale. Much of the film is spent exploring his Jewish identity — whether that is at Passover Seder or as he describes the Ethiopian Jews who mine the opal that rules the film — but at some level, it feels like this identity becomes part of his branding. His endless cycle of persuasion and sales is fuelled by the identity he crafts, and while his hustle is admirable, it leaves a residue that makes you doubtful of his real intentions.
Unlike Connie, who holds sacred one relationship in his life, Howie moves too fast to be bothered by his wife or children, who are clearly facing their own struggles. His joy isn’t derived from the people around him, but when his elaborate and risky bets pay off.
Howie’s moment is undoubtedly at the end of the film — his elaborate bet has paid off and he finally has the money to pay his creditors back (although that is probably not what he cared about anyway). But his recklessness and materialism catch up with him — and we see the consequences of living a life centred around oneself.
These earring-sporting, fast-talking antiheroes make for compelling entertainment: they stumble deeper and deeper into their own web of lies, go crawling back to the women in their lives without apologies and still manage to bail themselves out.
Yet, strangely, they don’t feel despicable — you find yourself rooting for the two throughout their individual journeys, praying that their gambles pay off. Connie and Howie may be wastrels in everyone’s eyes, but their unwavering dedication to what they love directs their moral compasses and results in an unwillingness to listen to any contrary opinion. They’re blatant and unapologetic and while you can question their beliefs, there’s no questioning the steadfastness of their path.
What the Safdie Brothers finally achieve is an impartial portrayal of characters who believe that the end justifies the means, and who shine in all their unpolished, uncut glory.
