Restrained Passion...
Paul
Thomas Anderson is quite easily the best young
director of this era. With this film, his fourth
after Hard Eight, Boogie Nights & Magnolia, he
has fashioned a mesmerizing character study of a
desperately shy and introverted young man who
finds a harmonium... literally and figuratively.
Who knew that Adam Sandler could actually act?
He delivers some truly memorable and touching
moments in this movie. With a few recent
exceptions I've typically enjoyed his films,
especially the earlier stuff like Billy Madison
and Happy Gilmore, but this is a real departure
for him. He still has some of the usual Sandler
quirks, he is shy, he is nice and kind, he
bumbles along with a certain staccato charm and
charisma that endears us to him. But in
Punch-Drunk Love we get to see what lurks
beneath the innocent exterior. He plays Barry
Egan, a seemingly harmless schmo who is
constantly irritated by his seven sisters and
works in a toiletries warehouse. He stumbles
across a scheme to accumulate one million
frequent flyer miles by buying $3000 worth of
Healthy Choice pudding (based on fact!), and at
the same time is being harassed by a phone sex
company who is abusing his credit card. The
movie opens with him finding a harmonium piano
on the sidewalk and it coincides with him
finding harmony in his love life. The girl he
falls for is played beautifully by Emily Watson,
and she comforts him even after a few of his
emotional explosions. This is a quirky and
lovable romance that works on every level.
You'll rarely see a film that cares more about
its characters than this one. 'PDL' is original
and quirky and fun and heartbreaking. Paul
Thomas Anderson has labelled this film an 'art
house Adam Sandler comedy'... well, combined
with his first three masterpieces, I am now
prepared to label Anderson a master director
whose work will never cease to amaze me. I am
already anxiously awaiting his next effort.
©
Written by TC Candler
Richard
Propes' Comment
A Golden
Globe nominated performance by Adam Sandler...who
would have thought it? Supported by the vision
of PT Anderson and fine performances by Emma
Watson and Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Sandler
shined in this film.
Jacob
Hall's Comment
I'm going to spare you a lengthy diatribe on why
I love this film and just get right down to the
point: "Punch-Drunk Love" is one of the finest
love stories I have ever seen, one of the few
that makes sense and the only one where I
genuinely believed that "love conquers all,"
unlike most romances, where it comes off as
utter bullcrap. Adam Sandler gives a remarkable
performance, Emily Watson is gorgeous, Phillip
Seymour Hoffman is scary and hilarious in equal
measure and writer/director PT Anderson crafts a
story that feels similar to his "Magnolia," but
it leaner, faster and a hell of a lot more
sweet. It's certainly not going to change your
mind if you hated his previous films, but this
is a film for everyone who has ever felt lost in
the world of love. Oh, it's a riot...Adam
Sandler may be dramatic here, but you can't keep
a natural comedian down.
