AMMAN: In the new Netflix crime thriller “Uncut Gems,” Adam Sandler proves once again that he’s Nicolas Cage’s closest rival for the title of Hollywood’s Most Confusing Actor. Like Cage, Sandler has rarely shown the full range of his talent — the rest of their work being a morass of mediocrity (and sometimes worse) — but it’s clear the talent is there. Thankfully, “Uncut Gems” sits comfortably in the ‘rarely’ list. Quite possibly at the top. In this high-octane darkly comic tale — beautifully written by Ronald Bronstein and smartly helmed by the Safdie brothers, Benny and Josh (tellingly, Martin Scorsese is an executive producer) — Sandler plays Howard Ratner, a fast-talking, horribly un-hip (and utterly unaware of it) Manhattan diamond dealer with a seriously dangerous gambling habit. This high-octane darkly comic tale is beautifully written by Ronald Bronstein and smartly helmed by the Safdie brothers, Benny and Josh. (Supplied) When Ratner’s well-connected middleman, Demany, brings basketball megastar Kevin Garnett (playing himself) into the store, Ratner shows him an illegally imported black opal. Garnett comes to believe it is of mystical significance and guarantees him victory on the court. He desperately wants it. But Ratner needs to auction it to (a) satisfy his immense greed and (b) pay off his immense gambling debt, owed to his brother-in-law. What follows is a comedy of errors, but errors with extremely high-stakes, as Ratner scrambles to get the opal back from Garnett; appease the auction house which is waiting for proof of its existence; escape the clutches of his brother-in-law’s hired muscle; and see if a long-shot, potentially life-changing bet has come off. Adam Sandler plays Howard Ratner, a fast-talking, horribly un-hip (and utterly unaware of it) Manhattan diamond dealer with a seriously dangerous gambling habit. (Supplied) The film is driven by Sandler’s terrific performance — a masterclass in sleazy charm and hopeless optimism. One minute he’s incapacitated by a vicious karate chop to the windpipe, the next he’s on his feet again, dashing after his assailant, still trying to explain (perhaps most of all to himself) how everything’s going to work out fine. The beauty of this movie is that, despite the odds — and in spite of Ratner’s clearly delusional self-belief — it really does feel as though it might. The pace is relentless, demanding — and rewarding — your concentration. And the pay-off is a magnificently manufactured, jaw-dropping ‘wow’ moment that few filmmakers would have had the courage to attempt, let alone nail as masterfully as the Safdie brothers do.