Punch-Drunk Love (2002)
Come for Adam Sandler and stay for Paul Thomas Anderson when you watch this darkly satisfying drama.
With recent releases like Pixels and Blended, it’s hard to imagine a time when Sandler dazzled you with his acting ability. But here, he utilizes his full range of talent to portray Barry Egan, an insecure man whose life gets complicated when a sex line operator blackmails him at the same time as he falls in love with a woman as quirky as himself.
Essentially, Barry embodies the characteristics of some of Sandler’s best roles: he’s naïve like Bobby Boucher in The Waterboy, as well-meaning as Happy in Happy Gilmore, and as enraged as Dave Buznik in Anger Management. But while those movies focused on the light-hearted side of the characters, director Paul Thomas Anderson shifts his attention to the exploration of the darker side of the human condition. The cinematography reflects this, as many of the shots are overwhelmingly bleak; however, the ending will still make you feel warm inside by the time the credits roll.
Published: Aug 3, 2015 10:34 pm