Review of Punch-Drunk Love (2002) by Henry F — 16 May 2014

PTA's film about taking control of life is so many things; it's funny and sad, simple and intelligent and so much more. PTA really shows his skills as a director in this movie, with some brilliant cinematography and a really clever use of music that makes you feel just as uneasy and frustrated as Sandler's character. I think it's fair to say Sandler isn't the best actor, but PTA has a way of bringing the best out of every actor he works with, giving him undoubtably the best performance of his career. Hoffman also, even though his screen time probably adds up to around 10 minutes in total, gives a really good performance that I would of loved to see more of.

Looking at Punch Drunk Love on face value it tells a pretty simple story of a troubled man trying to regain himself, but the deeper you look the more you find, something that PTA always does brilliantly. This might not be as high in maturity as his more recent films, but it's still unique and brilliant, making it one of his best do far.