P.T.
Anderson has always been a director who's hit and miss with me. I enjoyed Hard
Eight (although I could have done without the murder mystery portion of the plot)
I liked Boogie Nights quite a bit when it was first released, but I wouldn't call
it a timeless motion picture. Magnolia is a movie I could have done without. While
it was embraced by many, I found it meandering and full of moments that made me
want to turn my head in embarassment. I wouldn't call Punch Drunk Love perfect,
but I admired it for many reasons, none bigger than an outstanding performance
by Adam Sandler.
In
the quirky, offbeat romance, Adam Sandler plays the hapless Barry Egan, an eccentric,
lonely fellow with built up hostility accumulated from years of psychological
torture at the hands of his seven sisters. Things begin to look up when he meets
a young woman (wonderfully played by Emily Watson) who seems to be a perfect fit
for his eccentricities.
Not
surprisingly, Punch-Drunk Love is a strange film. It's not what you'd call a conventional
romantic comedy. Anderson has turned this particular genre on it's head, and while
some of the goings on were a be a bit much, I watched most of this movie with
a big grin on my face.
I
prefer Anderson the director to Anderson the writer. There's something frantic
going on in every scene of this movie, and I like that, because it adds a sense
of energy and confusion. What better metaphor for falling in love?
Things
that really have no business working in this movie, somehow manage to work. From
some truly weird dialogue, to an incredibly odd score that includes among all
things, a Shelley Duvall tune from the movie Popeye.
Punch-Drunk
Love also benefits from a brisk running time of an hour and forty minutes. God
only knows that Magnolia would have benefited from the same thing. While Anderson
can't resist letting some moments linger too long, most of this movie is surprisingly
restrained. Much of the film seems improvised, and given that Sandler is the star,
I'm guessing much of it was.
Sandler
is a revelation. I don't think Punch-Drunk Love is his best movie but this is
his best performance. This is a more refined and skilled Sandler. This is a beautifully
textured physical performance complete with brilliant comedic timing, and it's
also a deep, moving turn and throughout the film, I was truly touched by Sandler's
sincerity. Emily Watson compliments Sandler perfectly. Her role isn't flashy,
it's extremely subtle and she's so good in this picture, that it was easy to see
why Sandler falls for her and vice versa. The rest of the cast is populated by
familiar, Anderson film veterans like Philip Seymour Hoffman and Luiz Guzman.
They both give their offbeat all.
Those
going into Punch-Drunk Love expecting a typical Sandler film will most likely
be disappointed. While Sandler does evince some of the trademarks that have made
him a household name, this is much different than anything the funnyman has ever
done before. He's downright heartbreaking in this picture, but he's also very
charming.
Punch-Drunk
Love is a strange and whimsical glimpse into the first step of a grand love affair.
While some moments are a little too nonsensical for their own good, Sandler and
Watson make this a journey well worth taking.
