World Famous Comics: Punch-Drunk Love (Two Disc Special Edition) (Superbit Collection)
Punch-Drunk Love (Two Disc Special Edition) (Superbit Collection)
Starring: Adam Sandler, Emily Watson, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Luis Guzmán, Jason Andrews Directed By: Paul Thomas Anderson Average Rating: Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Audience Rating: R (Restricted) Binding: DVD Format: AC-3, Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, Dubbed, DVD-Video, Special Edition, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC Label: Sony Pictures Number of Items: 2 Region Code: 99 Release Date: June 24, 2003 Running Time: 95 minutes Theatrical Release Date: November 01, 2002
Amazon.com: Adam Sandler takes a shot at critical respectability with Punch-Drunk Love, a movie by director Paul Thomas Anderson (Boogie Nights, Magnolia). Sandler plays Barry Egan, a lonely small businessman who calls a phone sex line one night, only to find himself the victim of an extortion scheme the next day--the very same day on which he goes out on a date with the woman who may be the love of his life (the utterly delightful Emily Watson). Barry is a lot like Sandler's popular comic characters--socially maladept, prone to violence, always on the brink of embarrassment--but here Sandler plays it real; the result is both off-putting and sympathetic. Anderson's writing skills, unfortunately, are not as strong as his visual sense. Punch-Drunk Love has many strengths (including great supporting actors Philip Seymour Hoffman and Luis Guzmán), but ultimately fizzles out. --Bret Fetzer
Product Description: Winner of the Best Director Prize at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival "this misfit love story of disconnected people trying to find one another in an antagonistic world is a comedy of discomfort and rage that turns unexpectedly sweet and pure." Adam Sandler gives an amazing and unusual performance as Barry Egan a socially impaired owner of a small novelty business who is dominated by seven sisters and is unlikely to find love unless it finds him. When a mysterious woman comes into his life his emotions go haywire fluctuating between uncontrollable rage lust and self-doubt. "Punch-Drunk Love leaves you addled a little dizzy and overcome by a pleasing unplaceable sensation." "A romantic comedy as wonderful as it is strange that expands the genre to its absurdist outer limits and makes us believe." From the writer/director of Boogie Nights and Magnolia Punch-Drunk Love is a dark lovely and unique film experience.System Requirements:Running Time 95 MinsFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: COMEDY Rating: R UPC: 043396013339 Manufacturer No: 01333
A Uniquely Entertaining Film with a Magical Tone Three points of note:
1. The original (in both senses) soundtrack. Barry Egan (Sandler) has psychological problems. He's prone to paroxysms of destructive rage, sparked primarily by his seven domineering and dysfunctional sisters. But his issues are more complex than anger management. In my lay opinion, he seems to be too close to the bad end of the autistic spectrum: he often appears oblivious to, and overwhelmed by, everyday stimuli (such as meeting new people, especially women); he's emotionally and socially stunted (but in a way distinct from the typical Sandlerian manchild); and verbal communication isn't exactly his strong suit (except when intimidation is called for). So what has this got to do with the soundtrack? Well, it struck me that the percussive, layered, and sometimes cacophonous music that plays when we see things from Barry's perspective is meant to convey the blooming, buzzing confusion that he's experiencing. It's as if we can hear his inner chaos. At any rate, these conspicuous and distinctive tracks help bring atmosphere to the foreground of the film, which is a plus, because the story itself is nothing special; the magic of this film is in the execution, the details, the tone.
2. The cinematography. I am no expert, but Anderson clearly uses some cool and unusual shots and lenses. He also intersperses some colorful abstract art by frequent collaborator Jeremy Blake (R.I.P.). You'll have to see for yourself.
3. The descent into fantasy. The film starts off quirky but fundamentally realistic. Ayn Rand didn't write the dialogue, and no one makes a dwarf-tossing joke in the middle of a pitched battle over the moral fate of the world -- everyone acts like a real person, with real emotions, however eccentric. But once the love story takes off -- literally, to Hawaii -- no amount of chemistry can make up for the fact that we have no idea what Lena Leonard (Watson) sees in Barry. She's stable, successful, and has a British accent; he's crazy, strapped for cash (he's counting on a milking an overgenerous frequent flyer miles promotion -- based on a true story), and sounds like Adam Sandler. Yet she's really into him. Maybe this is just Anderson situating himself in the romantic comedy section (love at first sight), but still, there should be something, however implausible, behind the romance if he wants the audience to care. (Interestingly, maybe he doesn't: maybe he was that committed to style over substance; maybe he wanted to focus exclusively on Barry's emotions; maybe this was his way of satirizing the genre.) At any rate, viewers are free to form their own understandings of characters' motivations.
I've never gone out of my way to put a movie down, but P-DL demands it! Not worth much more of my time than to tell you this movie rates right up there among my Top Stinkers of all time. I've only walked out of 2 movies in my life: Caligula and Punch-Drunk Love.
One for being over the top with in your face uber-offensive reality, the other for nearly achieving a type of 'just stay there in your seat and stare at the screen' hypnotic apathy heretofore unrecorded among movie gazing audiences.
Folks that actually liked Caligula for it's delivery of a taste of tyrannical realism would probably also rush to the theaters to see movies about kids who pull R or L wings and legs off live insects just to watch them circle into a pathetic, draining death, ...a place where the minds of those who might tend enjoy P-DL have already achieved a certain level of comfort.
Gee... I hope I'm not sugar coating this very dangerous flick to the unsuspecting. Like the frog who would immediately jump out if thrown into a pot of boiling water but would not notice his impending demise had the water been ever so slowly brought up to soup temperature, this flick can actually bore you to death before you even know you're being cooked!
P-DL just COULD be part of an evil government plot to synthetically lobotomize an entire segment of our population, ...the former mentally active AdamSandlerites. ...who knows!
Did we watch the same movie? I found Punch Drunk Love to be too bizarre and random and ultimately it was just so boring. People keep saying what a great film this is and I just don't understand that sentiment. I felt this was akin to staring at a blank wall for 2 hours. How is that entertaining?
Sandler goes off on the "mattress man". I have yet to meet one person who enjoyed this film. Good thing a film's success cannot be measured by the opinions of a mere three persons. Punch Drunk Love is not a comedy. It is a quirky, whimsically-driven, off-balanced little piece of filmwork that acts more as an example of traditional indy film than the movie many folks probably wanted it do be, which was no doubt the second coming of Billy Madison or Happy Gilmore Part Duex. There are segments of comedy, but they're part of the story and not the main push of the film. Barry, Sandley's character, is normal. He's insecure, lacking in love, with sisters who joke with him and mockingly question his sexual orientation, and eventually, Barry sheepishly tries his luck with a phone-sex operator who ends up swindling him out of his money. This is where our story takes off, and the flight is hugely surprising.
Sandler takes a risk here, and proves quite capable of pulling off a character that would eventually help with the parts he played in 'Reign Over Me' and 'Splanglish'. The result is incredibly intoxicating. I would liken it to watching your mild-mannered grandfather suddenly jump atop the kitchen table and start dancing. It's unexpected, a little odd, but at the end of the day, makes you glad you were there to witness the spectacle.
As for the "Mattress Man" (played by Phil S. Hoffman), Sandler's scene involving him is worth the price of admission as Barry confronts the shady Mattress Man and procedes to tell him, "I didn't do anything. I'm a nice man. I mind my own business. So you tell me 'that's that' before I beat the hell from you...."
To watch him and hear his voice during this portion of the film is enough to make even nominal movie-goers erupt with ecstatic movie joy. If you give this film a chance, and remove Sandler from the realm of comedy that we all know him for, you will likely find yourself enjoying this bizarre, fun little movie.
Adam Sandler was more suited for the SNL short bits, but a full length movie is way too much Adam Sandler. He manages to be off putting even in the sad, slow, sympathic character such as this. He's much better off in the sarcastic, obnoxious bore, movies that he usually does with some success, that's his bread and butter. He has limited range and should feel like one lucky duck to be as "successful" as he's become with so little to offer.
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