The majority of films are on the list below are compelled to put a halt to something. That something can be anything, but it’s the driving force that makes some of these films approach greatness. The impulse to avoid something or to alter an emotion have consumed the films in my top 10. An aging director in Pain and Glory desperately tries to avoid the bleak fact that his best years, personally and creatively, are well behind him by avoiding drifting into creative obscurity. In Portrait of a Lady on Fire, two ravishing young women must avoid the passionate feelings they have for each other, no matter how difficult such a task is. Quentin Tarantino ruminates extensively on the concept of altering time. His Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood envisions a world where Charles Manson and his disciples get the ultimate comeuppance. In Uncut Gems there seems to be an inevitable ending that its main character cannot avoid, no matter how tirelessly he tries. And in The Irishman an aging gangster wants so badly to avoid his inner conscious that he tries to avoid his true emotions at all costs, but sometimes trying all your might just isn’t enough.
As many of you are aware, Adam Sandler will step away from making the comedy flicks that he’s best known for from time to time in order to take on a more dramatic role. We saw this in titles like Paul Thomas Anderson’s Punch-Drunk Love in 2002, James L. Brooks’ Spanglish in 2004, Mike Binder’s Reign Over Me in 2007, Judd Apatow’s Funny People in 2009, and Jason Reitman’s Men, Women & Children in 2014.
In the upcoming crime thriller Uncut Gems Sandler returns to drama, playing a jeweler in New York City who is always looking for the next big score. A24 has released an official trailer for the movie, which is the latest from brothers Josh Safdie and Benny Safdie, and you can check it out below along with more info.
Students of the Unusual™ comic cover used with permission of 3BoysProductions
The Mercuri Bros.™ comic cover used with permission of Prodigal Son Press
