Punch Drunk Love
Paul Thomas Anderson - Writer/Director
Adam Sandler - Barry Egan
Emily Watson - Lena Leonard
Philip Seymour Hoffman - Dean Trumbell
Luis Guzman - Lance
Punch Drunk Love was billed as a romantic comedy starring Adam Sandler. I'm sure most fans of either were disappointed. This is not your standard Sandler movie, full of farts, boobie jokes and 3 Stooges humor. Not there's necessarily andything wrong with that (I loved Happy Gilmore.) It's also not your typical romantic comedy by-the-book dreck we're accustomed to. It's strange. And it's good.
Barry Egan (Sandler) is a lonely, odd man who has 7 sisters who run his life. These sisters are pushy, rude, and abusive both verbally and emotionally. Barry - not surprisingly - is very timid and also very awkward in dealing with members of the opposite sex. A person can only take so much shit and, like many timid people, there is a mountain of anger beneath Barry's calm exterior. Like in his other films, Sander does go into fits of rage and has violent outbursts. The difference is here his character is given three dimensions and we see what causes him to act this way. He isn't punching the wall and screaming because it makes the audience laugh, he's doing it because he feels helpless, frustrated and doesn't really know how to interact with people.
This story is about how this odd, damaged man finds love. There are several mysteries along the way. Why is Barry hoarding pudding? Is he really going to get those frequent flyer miles? And why? - he doesn't travel. Why did someone drive up, drop a mini piano in the street and drive away? Why indeed. Underneath all of the strange shit, there is an underlying sweetness in the story. It's liberating to see a prisoner break out of his confines. It's inspiring to see two people who love each other despite quirks, shortcomings and oddities. There isn't much I can say about the plot that I haven't already said. It involves a plunger salesman, pudding, phone sex, extortion, fraud and romance. It's odd, but it's romance. And guess what? Adam Sandler can really act! Who knew? Having ranted and raved about how much I like it, I must say Punch Drunk Love isn't for everyone. It's different. Viewers are presented with a movie that moves in unexpected ways, that requires some thought and inspection. It revolves around a weirdo. You've been warned. Enjoy.
Punch Drunk Love earns 3.5 wombats out of 4
Adam Sandler - Barry Egan
Emily Watson - Lena Leonard
Philip Seymour Hoffman - Dean Trumbell
Luis Guzman - Lance
Barry is confronted with a mini piano. I love drama.
Punch Drunk Love was billed as a romantic comedy starring Adam Sandler. I'm sure most fans of either were disappointed. This is not your standard Sandler movie, full of farts, boobie jokes and 3 Stooges humor. Not there's necessarily andything wrong with that (I loved Happy Gilmore.) It's also not your typical romantic comedy by-the-book dreck we're accustomed to. It's strange. And it's good.
Barry Egan (Sandler) is a lonely, odd man who has 7 sisters who run his life. These sisters are pushy, rude, and abusive both verbally and emotionally. Barry - not surprisingly - is very timid and also very awkward in dealing with members of the opposite sex. A person can only take so much shit and, like many timid people, there is a mountain of anger beneath Barry's calm exterior. Like in his other films, Sander does go into fits of rage and has violent outbursts. The difference is here his character is given three dimensions and we see what causes him to act this way. He isn't punching the wall and screaming because it makes the audience laugh, he's doing it because he feels helpless, frustrated and doesn't really know how to interact with people.
I actually liked Emily Watson in this movie. And DJ Justice tells it like it is.
This story is about how this odd, damaged man finds love. There are several mysteries along the way. Why is Barry hoarding pudding? Is he really going to get those frequent flyer miles? And why? - he doesn't travel. Why did someone drive up, drop a mini piano in the street and drive away? Why indeed. Underneath all of the strange shit, there is an underlying sweetness in the story. It's liberating to see a prisoner break out of his confines. It's inspiring to see two people who love each other despite quirks, shortcomings and oddities. There isn't much I can say about the plot that I haven't already said. It involves a plunger salesman, pudding, phone sex, extortion, fraud and romance. It's odd, but it's romance. And guess what? Adam Sandler can really act! Who knew? Having ranted and raved about how much I like it, I must say Punch Drunk Love isn't for everyone. It's different. Viewers are presented with a movie that moves in unexpected ways, that requires some thought and inspection. It revolves around a weirdo. You've been warned. Enjoy.
Punch Drunk Love earns 3.5 wombats out of 4
posted by Mr_Nuts at 7:50 AM
4 Comments:
I have heard good things about this flick but my ingrained resistance to anything Adam Sandler has prevented me from renting it. Maybe I'll get past it!
I loved this movie.
"Uhhhh, I dunno whats going on down there."
Fucking awesome. Stacey however did not share my views.
Sounds Complicated.
Depth threshold exceeded.
Access Denied.
Absolutely love this film. If more romantic comedies were like this then the world would be a better place. If you like this, then I also recommend Spanglish. It's not quite as good as Punch-drunk Love but it is rather special.
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