Review of Punch-Drunk Love (2002) by Evan J — 07 Nov 2015

Paul Thomas Anderson's "Punch-Drunk Love" is an odd little film about a manic depressive man named Barry who finds love. Also it stars Adam Sandler. But he's not terrible! It's like he's actually trying! That being said, this is a very good film. Sandler, as mentioned before, isn't awful like he normally is. In fact, he's good. Really good. The first 30 minutes of this movie are legitimately very sad and you get a feel for Barry and you sympathize with him deeply. Emily Watson also does a good job, however her character feels just a bit weak, but I'll get to that later. So, this movie was directed by PTA, so it's no surprise that it looks great. Some truly beautiful shots and PTA's signatures (silhouettes, long tracking shots, very selective color scheme, etc.). In terms of the writing, there could be a little bit of work there. While Barry himself is a really well thought out character, Lena, played by Emily Watson, isn't the same case. While there aren't enough flaws to make her a bad character, it's hard to get a sense of who she is and why she likes Barry so much. There's plenty of speculation you could do, and most of it would probably be correct, but while you're sitting there, watching this film, it can be hard to understand the motivations. Also, some of the writing towards the end gets a little corny and schmaltzy, but in a jarring way. Luckily, these scenes are few and far between.

Overall, "Punch-Drunk Love" is just really good and it's definitely worth watching. It is, arguably, PTA's most accessible film, so even people who aren't fans might be able to get something out of this one. Now, let us lament the atrocity we can call the rest of Adam Sandler's career.