My Rating: ***1/2 out of ****.
Minor Spoilers
If every romantic comedy made today was like Punch Drunk Love and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless, I would like the genre a hell of a lot more. Most of the time we get crap like Maid in Manhattan or My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Eternal Sunshine and Punch Drunk are romantic comedies full of imagination, style, and great performances. Those two films make routine romantic comedies look like the crap they really are.
Punch Drunk Love can appropriate be called an "unconventional romantic comedy." This may come as a disappointment to those expecting a conventional, since the word "conventional" and Punch-Drunk Love are exact opposites. This film is different in how everything plays out and from a stylistic standpoint.
It should come as no shock that Punch-Drunk Love is so different since the writer/director is Paul Thomas Anderson (director of Boogie Nights and Magnolia). Anderson's films have never appealed to everybody because he does so many offbeat things in his films (people who have seen Magnolia know exactly what I'm talking about). Some people think the things he does are clever, some think they are annoying and pretentious. I fall in the former group so it should come as no surprise that I loved the film.
Punch-Drunk Love is actually a different Anderson film than Boogie Nights and Magnolia (I have yet to see Hard Eight). Both of those films were lengthy, ensemble pieces. Punch-Drunk Love is an 87 minute long(not counting the closing credits)romantic comedy. It's not as substantial as those films and it's obviously on a much smaller scale.
Nevertheless, even though Punch-Drunk Love isn't as deep as those films it is handled with just as much care. The film, like Boogie Nights and Magnolia, is never rushed and Anderson makes sure that we recognize this is his film. Also like Boogie Nights and Magnolia, he uses long, unbroken takes throughout the film.
Stylistically, Punch-Drunk Love is a beautiful film. Anderson and Cinematographer Robert Elswit create such a colorful atmosphere. I have always thought Anderson had a great visual sense and Punch-Drunk Love certainly proves that. A lot of credit should also be given to the production and costume designer. Jon Brion's score is perfect for the film.
Perhaps Anderson's biggest risk is casting Adam Sandler in the lead role. Sandler has come into new territory with Punch-Drunk Love. The role isn't so much different from his usual characters except that I found this character more accessible. The character here was much more toned down and I was able to identify with him so much more (in fact, I think I am Barry Egan).
So how does Sandler do in the role? To put it simply: He's great in it. He perfectly conveys the feelings of a shy, insecure man. Sandler shows us something we never thought we would see from him: a quiet, serious and just brilliant performance (how he did not get an Oscar Nomination was beyond me).
From an acting standpoint, this is definitely Sandlers film but the rest of the cast is wonderful. Emily Watson is radiant in her role and her chemistry with Sandler may not quite burn up the screen, but it is definitely there. Luis Guzman is delightful in his small role. However, the real scene-stealer from the supporting cast is Phillip Seymour Hoffman (Checkout his quite funny shouting match with him and Sandler).
Punch-Drunk Love may not be as accomplished as Anderson's Boogie Nights and especially Magnolia, but it is unquestionably a great film and one of the best entries in the romantic comedy genre. It proves that enough imagination can be put in even the most bland genre. Anderson has created another winner, lets hope he comes out with a new film sometime in the near future.
Minor Spoilers
If every romantic comedy made today was like Punch Drunk Love and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless, I would like the genre a hell of a lot more. Most of the time we get crap like Maid in Manhattan or My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Eternal Sunshine and Punch Drunk are romantic comedies full of imagination, style, and great performances. Those two films make routine romantic comedies look like the crap they really are.
Punch Drunk Love can appropriate be called an "unconventional romantic comedy." This may come as a disappointment to those expecting a conventional, since the word "conventional" and Punch-Drunk Love are exact opposites. This film is different in how everything plays out and from a stylistic standpoint.
It should come as no shock that Punch-Drunk Love is so different since the writer/director is Paul Thomas Anderson (director of Boogie Nights and Magnolia). Anderson's films have never appealed to everybody because he does so many offbeat things in his films (people who have seen Magnolia know exactly what I'm talking about). Some people think the things he does are clever, some think they are annoying and pretentious. I fall in the former group so it should come as no surprise that I loved the film.
Punch-Drunk Love is actually a different Anderson film than Boogie Nights and Magnolia (I have yet to see Hard Eight). Both of those films were lengthy, ensemble pieces. Punch-Drunk Love is an 87 minute long(not counting the closing credits)romantic comedy. It's not as substantial as those films and it's obviously on a much smaller scale.
Nevertheless, even though Punch-Drunk Love isn't as deep as those films it is handled with just as much care. The film, like Boogie Nights and Magnolia, is never rushed and Anderson makes sure that we recognize this is his film. Also like Boogie Nights and Magnolia, he uses long, unbroken takes throughout the film.
Stylistically, Punch-Drunk Love is a beautiful film. Anderson and Cinematographer Robert Elswit create such a colorful atmosphere. I have always thought Anderson had a great visual sense and Punch-Drunk Love certainly proves that. A lot of credit should also be given to the production and costume designer. Jon Brion's score is perfect for the film.
Perhaps Anderson's biggest risk is casting Adam Sandler in the lead role. Sandler has come into new territory with Punch-Drunk Love. The role isn't so much different from his usual characters except that I found this character more accessible. The character here was much more toned down and I was able to identify with him so much more (in fact, I think I am Barry Egan).
So how does Sandler do in the role? To put it simply: He's great in it. He perfectly conveys the feelings of a shy, insecure man. Sandler shows us something we never thought we would see from him: a quiet, serious and just brilliant performance (how he did not get an Oscar Nomination was beyond me).
From an acting standpoint, this is definitely Sandlers film but the rest of the cast is wonderful. Emily Watson is radiant in her role and her chemistry with Sandler may not quite burn up the screen, but it is definitely there. Luis Guzman is delightful in his small role. However, the real scene-stealer from the supporting cast is Phillip Seymour Hoffman (Checkout his quite funny shouting match with him and Sandler).
Punch-Drunk Love may not be as accomplished as Anderson's Boogie Nights and especially Magnolia, but it is unquestionably a great film and one of the best entries in the romantic comedy genre. It proves that enough imagination can be put in even the most bland genre. Anderson has created another winner, lets hope he comes out with a new film sometime in the near future.