Uncut Gems appears in an aspect ratio of approximately 2.39:1 on this Blu-ray Disc. The movie came with an erratic presentation – though admittedly, it brought an intentionally erratic presentation.
I guess, as some aspects of the image looked “off” for no especially logical reason. That primarily impacted sharpness, as some oddly soft spots materialized.
Still, I suspect the cinematography went this way on purpose, even if it didn’t make much sense. Overall delineation felt pretty good, even with the rough moments, though no one should expect a razor-sharp presentation.
No issues with jagged edges or moiré effects materialized, and edge haloes remained absent. Print flaws also failed to appear, and the film came with a fairly heavy layer of intentional grain.
Colors leaned toward blue/teal and amber/orange much of the time, though occasional spurts of other hues emerged. These tended to feel a bit thick but they seemed to match the production design.
Blacks seemed fairly dense, while shadows offered largely positive delineation, though the low-light shots could come across as a little thick. This was a less than attractive image, though likely by design.
In addition, the movie’s DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack could seem erratic, largely due to off-putting choices. In particular, the mix opted for a lot of localized speech, and the placement of the lines could feel iffy.
This meant dialogue from all around the room, but not in an especially logical manner. While some of the material seemed appropriately placed, more than a few moments created unnecessary distractions.
Otherwise, the soundfield mostly worked fine. Music spread around the room in an appropriate manner, while effects showed good breadth and involvement. Those elements tended toward environmental information, but they opened up the room in a positive manner when necessary.
Audio quality worked well, with music that appeared vivid and full. Effects also boasted nice accuracy and range.
Despite the awkward placement, dialogue remained fairly natural and concise. Though the localization choices created distractions, this became a pretty good mix most of the time.
Only one extra appears here: a 30-minute, 30-second documentary called Money on the Street. It includes comments from writers/directors Benny and Josh Safdie, and actors Idina Menzel, Adam Sandler, Kevin Garnett and Julia Fox.
“Money” looks at the project’s roots and development, story and characters, cast and performances, research and realism, the work of the Safdie brothers on the set, and editing.
“Money” offers a tight 30-minute look at the movie. I’d prefer something longer – or a commentary – but at least “Money” becomes a fairly substantial and informative overview of the production.
The disc opens with ads for The Lighthouse, Waves and Good Time. No trailer for Gems appears here.
I appreciate Adam Sandler’s desire to try something outside of his usual comedic comfort zone, and his lead performance in Uncut Gems demonstrates his willingness to challenge himself. Unfortunately, the movie becomes such an unpleasant assault on the senses that it fails to find much redeeming value. The Blu-ray comes with decent picture and audio as well as a good documentary. I wanted to like Gems but found nothing to enjoy here.