Review of Punch-Drunk Love (2002) by Michael Z — 09 Jan 2013

Just about an hour and a half in runtime, Punch-Drunk Love tells the story of a vibrant romance, soaked in both charm and eccentricity. Paul Thomas Anderson, working alongside the beautiful artwork of Jeremy Blake, paints one of his most visually captivating films to date.

The original score, composed by the masterful multi-instrumentalist Jon Brion, is so fully formed that it could stand alone from PDL and still be understood as a piece of art representing the anxiety, unpredictability, and ultimate satisfaction involved in a romantic relationship.

Starring the all-too-awkward Adam Sandler, Punch-Drunk is a paragon of how exquisitely a director can establish tone through picture and sound, and not through his actors; Sandler's overall blandness as an actor is trumped by the seamless combination of Anderson's direction and Brion's composition.