If you venture into the movie theater showing “Punch-Drunk Love” expecting to view a simplistic, predictable, typical Adam Sandler movie, you might as well walk out or strap on your thinking cap. The film marks Sandler’s most dramatic performance to date, and its credentials accentuate this refreshing, much-desired change. Who would have thought that an Adam Sandler film would win the Best Director Award at the Cannes Film Festival? This movie is not for the millions of mindless Sandler fans who gawk at the sight of him throwing tree branches into the path of in-line skaters (“Big Daddy”). There is one familiar ingredient inherent in Love, however: previous Sandler films focus on hostile humor; and the gist of his most recent work is grounded in pure hostility as well.
Love is directed by the artistic Paul Thomas Anderson, whose most respected works include “Boogie Nights” and “Magnolia.” The movie also stars Emily Watson as the love-interest of Sandler’s character. A brilliant British actress, Watson brings both charisma and gullibility to her role. In a a supporting role, the film ingeniously casts the talent of Phillip Seymour Hoffman, who simply couldn’t be any better.
Sandler plays Barry Egan, an emotionally troubled executive who owns a company specializing in novelty toiletries. Barry has been cursed with having seven sisters, who are always on his case about his standoff-ish and severe lack of social graces. He tries with all his might to come off as being cool, confident and friendly, but soon we see the tension and stress in his quivering lips, he breaks windows at a family gathering.
But Barry meets Lena Leonard (Watson), a sweet, innocent business woman who asks him to look after her broken-down car, and eventually asks him out on a dinner date. They are attracted to each other from the very start, but Barry still holds his tension and strain; and we fnd him in the bathroom during the date, tearing it apart.
In the middle of all this Barry is forced to cope with an ongoing battle with a phone-sex company. He called the number several days earlier and was billed. Though, Barry was slightly uncomfortable with the woman on the other hand, he was not uncomfortable enough to conceal the fact that he has money. Eventually, the woman violates the confidentiality agreement, pulls a scam with his credit card number, demands that he pay the rent for her apartment, and when Barry refuses, she sends out four stalkers to get the job done.
Barry, the insecure person that he is, is frightened. He discovers a loophole in a Healthy Choice pudding product that will allow him to redeem limitless frequent flier coupons, and plans to visit Lena in Hawaii while she is on a business trip. His plan is unsurprisingly foiled when he realizes that it will take eight weeks to process the order. Nonetheless, he decides to pay the money and escape-temporarily.
Love has an uncanny ability to portray the psychological back bone of Sandler’s and Watson’s characters precisely, without letting you know what’s going to happen next. When Barry comes face-to-face with Dean Trumbell (Hoffman), the owner of the phone-sex company, I wasn’t sure if Barry would beat the living daylights out of him, demanding his money, or just state: “I have a love in my life. She makes me stronger than you can imagine.” This unpredictability fits perfectly with the title of film-the movie itself is punch-drunk; it is nonsensical, illogical and zany.
Love is at its heart a vivid depiction of a transforming personality. Barry has been emotionally damaged by his domineering, insanely critical sisters, and he cannot stand it when others nose into his business. Perhaps the emerging love relationship with Lena simply catalyzes what was eventually bound to happen: Barry’s attainment of a profound sense of emotional strength, made apparent in his hostile physical actions. His final encounter with the stalkers justifies his hostility. This Sandler film is actually exciting to watch, because it reveals the unexpected depths of Sandler’s acting ability. He has the capacity to evoke dominance, strength and darkness, his power allows him to make sense of his challenging world.
The first 10 minutes of Punch-Drunk Love were some of the most mysterious movie frames I had ever laid eyes on. I was literally thinking to myself, “What the heck?” Perhaps these first several minutes are analogous to the future of Sandler’s career. We’re accustomed to mindless Adam Sandler roles, and anything intriguing or mysterious confuses us. The first 10 minutes are punch-drunk. The romance between Barry and Lena is punch-drunk. The movie itself is punch-drunk. Who knows what’s in store for Adam Sandler? Let’s hope it’s punch-drunk.
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