Ivre d'amour

We've come to expect a lot from Paul Thomas Anderson. After his twin masterpieces "Boogie Nights" and "Magnolia", not to mention the sure-handed and satisfying "Hard Eight", we knew he was a filmmaker of skill and magic. So when it was announced that the next PTA film would be a 90-minute romantic comedy starring (Gasp!) Adam Sandler, I was, for one, not worried. This man had taken Mark Wahlberg and turned him into someone we could be proud to watch onscreen. He cast icon Tom Cruise, gave him the character of Frank "T.J." Mackey, and directed the actor to one of the most repulsive, offensive, and inspired performances of the "Top Gun" star's career. So, I was pretty confident in his ability to handle the star of "Little Nicky". But, boy, I still wasn't prepared for what I saw. Sandler just wasn't good, he was INCREDIBLE. I couldn't believe my eyes-here was the man behind "Eight Crazy Nights" creating a completely realized, utterly human character with a studied, nuanced performance. Many have commented on the fact that Barry Egan, Sandler's character, is not that different from his previous incarnations. Socially akward and prone to explosive violence, Barry might just be the key to explainging Sandler's Billy Madison or Happy Gilmore. The character helps shine a light on the inner torment of those man-children.

The plot is a bit more complicated than your usual romantic-comedy fair. First off, it's really not a comedy. Second off, the two major players-Sandler and Emily Watson as the beautiful and mysterious Lena Leonard-both have quirks and tension that ordinary movie characters who fall in love don't in movies today. Barry has been terribly scarred (perhaps irreperably) by the constant torment and abuse of his seven sisters. There are several scenes where he bursts into destructive rages for no real reason-to sum it up, this guy has problems. Lena seems to have some of the same hurt simmering under her, but she controls it and accepts Barry for who he is, eventually coming to a stage where she understands him better than anyone truly ever has. Much of "Punch-Drunk Love"'s story is how Egan manages to regain control of himself and experience truly human feelings for the first time. Lena is his salvation-through his devotion to her he saves himself.

The film's other specifics are a bizarre, but extremely original mix of details. Barry is a toilet-plunger salesman. He one day wanders onto a loophole in a snack-foods sponsored contest that would allow him to get enough frequent flier miles to never have to pay for a plane ticket again. First, however, is the nasty business with a small-time porn entrepeneur in Utah who is trying to extort a large sum of money from Barry, using the company's "Four Blonde Brothers" to threaten the (for a time) hapless Egan. The film is so utterly free that to reveal how these disparate elements come together would ruin the movie. Much of the joy of "Punch-Drunk Love" is that you never truly know where the movie is going to go next.

The performances are uniformly excellent. Philip Seymour Hoffman is "the heavy", but he puts a small line of tragedy in his character. Dean Trumbell seems fierce, but a telling look at his "empire" reveals he is all bark and no bite. The always-great Luis Guzman is Sandler's well-wishing co-worker, Lance, who is constantly supportive of Barry despite his doubts about what is really going on inside his boss's head. And Emily Watson is appropriately fascinating and quietly alluring as Lena, who drops her car off one day and admits the next she did it just to meet Barry.

The film might seem weird and violent, but this is truly one of the sweetest movies I have seen at a long time. At its core, "PDL" is decent, honest, and beautiful. It is reminiscent of "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas", which, despite its rampant drug use and other disturbing subject matter, was a film that had a heart of gold. One of the best of 2002, "Punch-Drunk Love" will be seen in the future as a shining moment for all involved. Here's to hoping it will also be seen as the beginning of Adam Sandler's serious film career.

Let me start by saying I love this movie. I love the weird, random offbeat awkwardness of it all. It's very charming and very funny. There's not many romance comedies like this. This is one of a kind for sure and it's one of Adam Sandler's best performances in my opinion. He's never done another role quite like this one and it really stands out compared to everything else he's done. He plays a very awkward, peculiar and erratic-tempered guy who seems be on the autistic spectrum. He gives a very funny, very charming and unique performance. Emily Watson is fantastic as well. She gives a very charming and warm performance. There's something very lovely and sweet about her in this movie. And of course Phillip Seymour Hoffman, as with any film he's in, elevates the movie as a whole and brings an interesting character into the story. He is the GOAT, R. I. P.

The cinematography is beautiful. The style is peculiar and distinct. PTA knows what he's doing and his sense of humor is right up my alley. I love the long one-shot takes in this movie. One that stands out to me is when Barry is calling the hotline from his apartment. At times the movie can be anxiety-inducing with the different things that happen to Barry along with the music that complements these scenes. I love the way they play with colors (blues & reds) and the way random coincidental things happen. In this movie we are seeing the world through Barry's eyes. In a way this movie reminds me of Jacques Tati and his movies. I love how the movie almost turns into a Western for a couple minutes when Barry ventures out to find the person who's been harassing him. I'm guessing the harmonium is supposed to represent Barry in a way and his state of being? Or it could just be something completely random. Either way, this movie has a special place in my heart and I'll always come back to watch it. Highly highly recommended. Raw score: 8.7/10.

Watching this in 2024 was eye opening. From the actor to the score, the scenes, the way it was shot, each and every frame was spectacular.

The great secret of the movie is the accuracy of the detail you would only understand if you knew this degree of social frustration where you would understand the absolute genius of this movie and production.

Adam Sandler the actor of this generation, for having pushed the limits of curiosity with every single picture.

The score is absolute original and unique. The timing and the sequence is incredible.

The filming is efficient and done in minimal sites, perfect light in frames, excellent transitions. Appreciating this level of detail makes this one of my favorite cult genre rom com, which we should find a name for, if there isnt one already.

One of my old English teachers once asked us about a book, "Did you all like the book? I'm not asking whether you enjoyed it; I don't care. I want to know if you liked it." She was making an important distinction.

I remembered that as I watched Punch-Drunk Love. It's very unusual. The film is set in L.A., but you don't see much scenery indicating that. You see unpleasant things. Adam Sandler's office is long and empty: just seeing him sitting at his desk assaults you with a feeling of loneliness (not because of any sappy music--but because of the set and the camera work). He walks out into a never-ending warehouse; it feels empty, brutal. He exits the warehouse and you see another unending sight: the row of garage-like doors of all the other warehouses. It feels like it lasts forever, this row of doors, and when Adam gets to the end of it, he looks out onto a long, straight, industrial, empty street. It looks HORRIBLE, but why? Nothing is happening on the street, there are no gruesome sights, no particular signs of squalor or anything, and yet you feel repulsed, hopeless, alone. Then, out of the distance, a car whizzes by, nothing unusual, but it feels abrasive. With no relation at all to the plot, just as it appears, this car hits something and explodes, its remains slide off into the distance and you see nothing more of it. It's trivial. But you feel like the movie is being hostile toward YOU, the viewer.

Yes, that's the best way I can put it: you feel like the movie is being hostile toward YOU. A few minutes later, a truck flies by, again very abrasively, and drops a harmonium in front of Adam Sandler. There is no rhyme or reason to this, it just happens, and it's all very unpleasant.

About a third of the way through the video, my phone rang. I told my friend what I was watching, and she asked how it was. I told her, "I can't decide. I'm not sure I like it." I kept watching. At the end, I understood. What I had meant to tell my friend was that I wasn't enjoying it. And I wasn't meant to.

The film starts out with a very bad point in Adam Sandler's life. He is neurotic, you want to kill his sisters even though they're not malicious per se, he is lonely, his life is unpleasant. This movie is trying to do more than TELL you it's unpleasant, and even more than SHOW you it's unpleasant: the movie is trying to get inside you and make you FEEL it. You seriously feel the abrasiveness of every image, every sound, every character; you feel accosted by it. When there's silence, it's brutal silence. When there are sounds, they're brutal sounds. Images and movements are abrasive. Until Adam's life begins to flourish: then you get pretty sounds, pretty colors--as the viewer, you're let off the hook, too.

So when it was over, I was in amazement. How many movies succeed at this, at taking you WITH them to the discomfort the character is living? The cinematography, the sound work, the script--none of it is any accident. When his life isn't going well, you FEEL it. Did I like the movie? Very much. And if you appreciate a very unusual take on an old topic, you will too.

No business looking this good with beautiful/subtle lighting. Strange & random but a warm tone that is just lovely. The screenplay is ridiculous but masterfully crafted. Simple yet uniquely profound with a great score & cast.

. .

. No business looking this good with beautiful/subtle lighting. Strange & random but a warm tone that is just lovely. The screenplay is ridiculous but masterfully crafted. Simple yet uniquely profound with a great score & cast.

. .

. No business looking this good with beautiful/subtle lighting. Strange & random but a warm tone that is just lovely. The screenplay is ridiculous but masterfully crafted. Simple yet uniquely profound with a great score & cast.