Rating: 
Summary: A Strange movie that I liked
Review: "Punch Drunk Love" is a bizarre movie that really made me laugh. I have a very offbeat and sometimes dark sense of humor, which is what you need to truly appreciate this.
With not much of a plot, it thrives more on it's main character, Barry Egan, played wonderfully by Adam Sandler. Barry is a not so average guy -- He is sweet, then funny, then very angry. At his angry moments, he punches and kicks things like bathroom doors and rips soap dispensers out of walls, and kicks glass doors. Then he cries, really cries..We don't understand why and neither does he. His annoying and very unattractive sister wants to set him up with a friend from her work. The rest of his sisters are all verbally abusive to him through life, which I think is part of the reason he flies off the handle like he does. We never know when to expect these outbursts. After placing a call to a phone sex line, he finds his life being turned upside down and not to his liking.
Novelty plungers are his business, and Pudding plays a supporting role. In his quest to earn enough frequent flyer miles for life(and he doesn't fly), he buys enough of the stuff for it to have such a role.
Lena(played by the adorable and wonderful Emily Watson) is the friend of the sister, and she goes out of her way to meet Barry after seeing his picture. I will not go further on here. I want you to go experience this trippy love story. It's funny and always moving. You don't know what to expect next, but it's well worth it all. It has some parts that make absolutely no sense, but hey, does life make sense? We are all just going with the flow of our lives and dealing with each obstacle as they hit us. Just like Barry does in this movie.
For those of you who have seen Paul Thomas Anderson's other movies, you may recognize a few of the other actors. Philip Seymour Hoffman plays the potty mouth manager of the sex phone line, and Luis Guzmen plays a buddy at work.
As outlandish as the movie is, I couldn't help but like it. There are random thing that go on that don't do anything for the plot. If they do, I must have missed it. The cinematography matches up to the film's quirkiness with weird camera angles and camerawork in general.
It's a film worth seeing if you are in the mood for something out of the ordinary, especially for a Sandler vehicle.
Rating: 
Summary: not a spoonfed movie
Review: As I read these bad reviews of this movie, I realize how lazy some film-watchers are these days. Living in a generation that grew up watching movies, I would think that by now people would want to see movies that challenge them a little, and not simply spoon-feed them their entertainment. I understand that people go to the movies for the simple reason of being entertained, but how long can the same old movie formulas entertain you?
It's refreshing to me to see directors like P.T. Anderson make movies because they feel passionate about the story they want to tell, not because they want it to fit into a neat, rehashed package to sell to a braindead audience. There are beautiful images and ideas in this movie that take you on an emotional ride for 90 minutes. The fact that Mr. Anderson makes a movie like this with his heart, knowing it won't make as much money as your average Adam Sandler movie, is reason enough to give it a try. But above all, Punch Drunk Love is an original movie, which is something we don't see enough of these days.
Rating:
Summary: Atlas Van Lines
Review: I've never been a great admirer of Paul Thomas Anderson.
Don't get me wrong. I've loved his films. But they were never
particularly memorable for me.Hard 8 was great. A good rental. I couldn't get into Boogie Nights
because of the 'hoopla' surrounding it. Tainted my viewing pleasure.
That and Marky Mark. And then I saw Magnolia. Not only did Anderson get a perfect
performance out of Cruise. But he made a brilliant film. I figured
that was it. The same way I felt after finishing watching Cronenberg's
Spider. "There's just no way someone can top that. No way." I just finished watching Anderson's Punch Drunk Love. He might not have topped Magnolia. But PDL is equally as impressive.
And it just FLIES by. Great story. Great cast. And Sandler is
inspired. Shame he doesn't get more parts like this. But from looking
what's out there. I guess there aren't many to be had. Anderson has matured visually from Magnolia. PDL exists in its own
very private universe where sharp reds and blues contrast on
labyrinthine whites. Someone that went to film school could describe
it much better than I can. So I won't even try. Very beautiful film.
Has a tender fragility that is always on the verge of exploding into
violence and rage. Right on the edge. Of everything known. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Underrated and Misunderstood
Review: When this movie came out, people categorized it as another movie where Adam Sandler exhibits his proclivity for picking and playing characters with anger management problems. This miscategorization caused a lot of people to either miss the movie, or became so swayed that they didn't realize the true point of the film. Others were so turned off by the random violence in the movie. All these things led the weak-minded and easily swayed film-goers to either miss the film completely, or paint it the wrong color. Punch-drunk Love is a perfect exhibition of romance between two people who aren't normal. Not abnormal retarded abnormal, or mentally ill and crippled abnormal; just not like everyone else. What people did not see in this movie was the source of Barry Egan's (Sandler) frustration: it was his sisters that were crazy and it was them who drove him to utter frustration! His random acts of violence were the result of the boiling points his sisters constantly pushed him to. The rest of the movie let the viewer watch Barry reconcile the life everyone told him to live, the life he was living, and the life he wanted to live (and who he wanted to live with). There were very light moments to counter balance the emotional, very subtle jokes, and an exhibition of great acting. Adam Sandler proved that he can conceive and portray multi-dimensional characters. This DVD is packed with extras that make this movie that much more special. I got it the day it hit the shelves and will cherish it among my other favorites. Don't miss this one!
Rating:
Summary: Giddy, surreal gem of love and rage.
Review: OK let's get one thing straight. This movie is unlike any romantic comedy you have ever seen. It's taut, creepy, neurotic, and at times truly hilarious but usually it's just spellbinding. "Unique" is too plain a word for this. I don't know where to begin...the camerawork, the sound, the acting, AND the writing. It doesn't...pander, it doesn't fill out the cutesy shoes that are laid at its feet. Instead it runs and stumbles barefoot with integrity. Amazon.com says this movie "fizzles out", but that's only because its ending is consistent rather than put-on. Some people don't like movies with GENUINE STYLE but I happen to adore them, and this one's destined for a high rank in my little book of cinematic wonders. Barry (played with surprising nuance by Adam Sandler) is about as angry and conflicted as a genuinely sweet guy can be. His outbursts are quick and manic, the sound muted like when a real person's blood boils in their temples and shuts out whatever noisy torment provoked them. Torment him Barry's seven sisters do, but they also care about him--which comes through touchingly, not cloyingly. The dialog in particular impressed me, not because the characters sound like comedy writers, but because they DON'T. The leading characters (particularly Barry) are deeply strange, resolutely unpretentious human beings which may be why they are so drawn to each other. You will never see a more anxious, keyed-up, romance as theirs. But this picture is more than a flailing stab at integrity. It doesn't hold gratification out of reach for the sake of "art". It satisfies, viscerally and intellectually and comically. Barry confronts his demons with courage more endearing than his awkwardness (one scene in particular will have you cheering.) You'll wonder if, in the aftermath of all the trouble he's in, he will be able to hold onto the rickety, trembling, iridescent love he finds. There's no predicting where a movie this fresh will go next. As irreverent as Punch Drunk Love is, it's not sophomoric. As sensitive as it is, it never takes itself too seriously. And you will forgive its quirky excesses, too in love to care.
Rating:
Summary: a beautiful, Technicolor love letter...
Review: Adam Sandler takes his trademark innocent-naïf-prone-to-sudden-bursts-of-violence character and creates an interesting, new variation on it. Barry internalizes everything as he tries, desperately, to control his world. He seems to suffer from an acute case of agoraphobia and constantly looks uncomfortable. PTA simulates this feeling by punctuating moments of silence with sudden, jarring blasts of sound. It is the presence of Lena who provides Barry with the calm and love that he so desperate needs. Punch-Drunk Love is akin to a Technicolor Jacques Tati film, albeit starring Adam Sandler. Barry, with his ubiquitous bright blue suit and exaggerated physical mannerisms, echoes silent comedians of the past. This is readily apparent in a scene that ends with Barry dancing up and down a grocery aisle in a wonderful expression of pure happiness. It's a brilliant cinematic moment that is an absolute joy to watch. This is an excellent DVD with a flawless transfer. The DTS soundtrack will loosen yer fillings and shake your room with its rumbling bass. The extras are appropriate for this rather abstract, oddball film -- the best of the bunch being the 12 minute extended mood music video entitled, "Blossoms and Blood." Although, the "Mattress Man Commercial" is hilarious! My only caveat is that it would have been nice if PTA had done an audio commentary with Sandler. But I understand that he wants the film to speak for itself (the same reason why he didn't do a commentary for MAGNOLIA). Oh well. Still, this is an excellent two-DVD set for a truly impressive movie.
Rating: 
Summary: Major letdown from one of my favorite directors
Review: I am a huge fan of Paul Thomas Anderson's movies, yet for some reason (besides knowing beforehand that this was not one of his amazing Altmaneque multi-character studies and my general skepticism about Adam Sandler as an actor), my gut told me to take a pass when this movie first came out. Since enough time had passed since it came out, and knowing that both Sandler and the movie received critical acclaim, I decided to give it a shot. The movie starts out in an imaginative manner and thankfully does not neatly tell you everything that you need to know about its leading character (wonderfully played by Adam Sandler in a role that shows a totally different layer of what he has to offer as an actor) nor where the movie will be heading. As most of us know, most of the movies that come out are created by committee, focus groups, commercial tie-ins, and seem to have a contractual obligation to secure a box office friendly PG-13 rating, and simply too many stakeholders. So one has to at least be thankful that PTA, like Spike Jonz (I loved "Being John Malkovich" and liked some of "Adaptation") just to name another young director, has enough clout to work in a relatively independent without having to waver from their vision. It's not everyday that movies like "Boogie Nights" and "Magnolia" are allowed to make it to the screen while moving at a slow pace and sometimes clocking in at over 3 hours as is the case with PTA or gets to make a movie as original as "Being John Malkovich" in the case of Jonz. That about all the positive that I can squeeze out from "Punch Drunk Love", which the exception that PTA manages to tell his story in less than 90 minutes and he has not lost his ability to have a character's words sound like those of real people. His talent is never more evident than in scenes highlighting the awkward dialogue that characters sometimes engage in. Since I hate to give anything away as I hate it when reviewers tell you much more than is needed to get you to make up your mind as to whether to see a movie or not, I will say that Sandler's character is not your typical movie character and I venture to say that there is a little of him in all of us; notwithstanding the character is impossible to get to know and becomes annoyingly close to acting like Dustin Hoffman's character in "Rain Man." Although the lead character's psychological challenges are universal and could make for an interesting character study in the tradition of most of most of John Cassavette's movies or Martin Scorcese's "Taxi Driver" and "Alice Does Not Live Here Anymore," here we are bombarded with a sameness that feels like watching paint dry. There is some background at the macro level to possibly explain part of his behavior, but it's more frustrating than illuminating. Any scene involving his family is like nails on a chalkboard and that may have been PTA's intent, but although no character has to be likable to be interesting, this bunch almost makes Neal LaButte's characters seem downright lovable. Also, the family's role in Sandler's condition is too simplistic and played way too broadly and don't work on either a serious or comedic level. Also, this movie was marketed as a love story, there is little love about this movie, especially when you take into account that Sandler's alleged love interest, played the talented Emily Watson. She almost seems like an afterthought and the movie really does not take the time to establish the why or even how of this alleged couple should be or are together. She is essentially the maybe/maybe not "girlfriend" character that correctly frustrates movie actresses who don't want to appear as an appendage to a central character every time a film is greenlighted. Also as hard as Watson tries, Sandler has zero chemistry with her. She ALMOST manages to do this alone, but Sandler's superb acting can't quite stretch far enough to show at least a glimpse of why Watson's character would be drawn to him in any way. Even more frustrating is a secondary yet central plot involving a credit card and phone sex. The whole concept may have looked good on paper but the execution is so tired and has a second rate soap opera feel. I would compare it to the last of act of "Adaptation." Here the offense is even worse because it seems to contradict the pace of the movie and to me serve as a cop out to create tension and try to use tape to try to bring some cohesiveness to where Anderson's wants to take the plot. I'll take true character development over plot development any minute of the day and I was surprised to see the movie move away from what it was trying to do, albeit unsuccessfully. I can't believe that I am only giving a movie made by PTA what I think is generous two stars, and mostly due to Adam Sandler's performance, PTA's talent for dialogue, and for continuing to break formulaic cinema mantras. With the exception of this movie, PTA's work to date merits at least 4 or even 5 stars, and I hope that he returns or rather moves forward to continue what should be a long career as a writer/director. Some may feel that anyone who did not like this movie is either lazy or unsophisticated because he/she may have expect neatly tied up plots and loveable characters, but this is quite a bumper sticker generalization as many of us truly love unconventional movies but just did not happen to like this one. For example some may not have liked "Memento" because it did not fit the mold and it was not told in linear fashion, but those are two of the many reasons why I loved it. PTL's previous movies, as well as some recent foreign successes ("Amores Perros" and "Y Tu Mama Tambien, just to name a couple) are also examples of independent fare that I found to be truly brilliant. In the same fashion that huge budget extravaganzas don't necessarily make for a bad movie, the independent banner does not assure a great one either. If anyone doubts that latter, just try and sit through "Buffalo 66" and get back to me.
Rating:
Summary: NOT an Adam Sandler movie.
Review: This is a great film in my opinion, but it is not for all tastes. It is definately not an Adam Sandler movie. I can only imagine the discomfort of moviegoers who paid the price of admission expecting a new flatulent outing from Happy Madison productions. Don't get me wrong... I have most of Billy Madison comitted to memory, and I still laugh long and hard when Happy Gilmore fights Bob Barker. It is funny though how closely related Barry Egan is to some of Sandler's own characters. He is fundamentally insecure and prone to violence. The fact that film is so unlike any of Sandler's previous work ought to be enough to dissuade anyone looking for a silly comedy to not bother, and to just watch Billy Madison over again. However, anyone looking for a journey through the life of a socially anxious and fragile man (and fans of P.T. Anderson)... look no further. This one is definately worth watching.
Rating:
Summary: Truly awesome movie
Review: After I finished seeing PDL, I would have given it 2.5 stars. It was cute, but not that great. After I slept on it and thought more about it, I had to see it again. Seeing it the 2nd time really blew me away. There is meaning and hope in the movie. It is truly an awesome movie.
Rating:
Summary: if you liked "Amelie"...
Review: you should like this. "punch-drunk love" does for lonely guys what "Amelie" did for lonely gals. both films are about odd, introverted people. both try to show the world as seen by the protagonists: magical and dreamy for Amelie; sterile and nightmarish for Barry Eagan. both are charming and sweet love stories. and strangely, both involve the sex trade! each in its own odd way. pdl is a (slightly) funnier film, though. each film also makes interesting use of a different spatial dimension. in A, the vertical dimension is very important - many things either fall (A's mother, the goldfish, etc) or are discovered on the ground (the treasure box, torn pictures, boyfriend, etc). in PDL, it's the dimension into the plane of the film that's important - think of the long driveway leading up Barry's shop, or the corridors in the apartment and hotel, or the aiport walkway, etc. it's no coincidence that Leana first emerges from the end of the long driveway, or that Barry runs through the the long apt corridors to steal his first kiss, or that the lovebirds first hold hands as they stroll through the winding halls in the hotel. the screenplay was very well written, especially for Barry. the conversations were funny just because they are so accurate: this is just the way you'd imagine someone like Eagen would talk. hilarious. a good film. well worth watching.
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