Punch Drunk Love

[Herod]

Fantastic.
I'm truly going to try and post a full review of this one, because it's definitely worthy of one.

[Steve]

I liked it a lot too. :)

[Travis_Bickle]

I enjoyed it, after all P.T. Anderson is the most talented director still working.
Yeah fine, Scorsese is the greatest, but his last few films have really lost that Midas touch.
One thing I was upset about with "Punch-Drunk", was the idea of not using a Superscope lens again. In his previous films that lens has pulled off miracles.
The film stock came across as almost a 16mm. I guess P.T. really lowered the budget down to a rock bottom partially because of Kevin Smith's bitching about Magnolia's budget.

All and all, an interesting film.

[The Silver Bullet]

Holden is gonna hate me, but screw it:

Best film of the year. Glorious.

[Kong]

Kong loved Punch-Drunk Love. A vibrant, rich, beautiful, and satisfying romantic comedy with a razor sharp gritty edge. It's isn't the best of 2002, but it is somewhere on Kong's 2002 Top Ten.

[verbal penguin]

I like Adam Sandler, but not here. Slow movie and too emotional music...
I had a severe headache (same happend during Magnolia), and after it was over I felt empty, like nothing really happend.

Can any of you guys tell me specifically what you liked about this movie, except for the stylistic directing?

Thanks.

[Kong]

Originally posted by verbal penguin
Can any of you guys tell me specifically what you liked about this movie, except for the stylistic directing?

It's very funny. It celebrates a romantic relationship that doesn't fit the Hollywood movie standard. It ends happily while turning romantic comedy conventions on their head. The acting was very good. Kong enjoyed the music alot; PTA is very good at choosing his soundtracks. Did Kong mention this film is a laugh riot?

[Ezikiel]

I just loved this movie, I thought it was a masterpiece. It was definately my favorite movie of 2002, I just dont get why Sandler will stop with Comedy and do more movies like these. This is also a great romantic movie, it really made me care about the characters. This is probably my favorite Hoffman, Watson, and Sandler movie.
http://www.jsonline.com/graphics/owlive/img/oct02/punch102502_big.jpg

[LordSlaytan]

This was my favorite movie of 2002. What I liked most about it is that it redeemed Adam Sandler. I personally am not a fan of his comedy movies, but I have always believed in his talent. Yet, that was not the only thing I liked. I liked the visual artistry added into the film. I liked the film and lighting they used to give it it’s own original look. I liked Emily Watson and the believable way she portrayed herself in an almost unbelievable love affair. I liked the music used, especially the song, “He needs me”. But there is something I love about this film and that is its completely unique story itself. To say it is an unconventional love story is an understatement. Anderson gave a person who would be alone his whole life a chance. Many men can relate to a smaller scale and because of that, we can root for him. Wonderful, beautiful, and amazing.

[s-mart ash]

yipee. first post. this was one great movie. i like how he just like flips out and go's profanity-happy and throws stuff at glass doors and stuff. kind of reminds me of myself.

[The Taxi Driver]

I just watched this for the first time and I gotta say I loved it. Adam Sandler usualy annoys the hell outta me but his performance was great in this. I really felt like I connected to his chatacter and really felt bad for him and super happy whenever he got his vengience on either his sisters or the matress man. This movie really captivated me and my only regret is that I took so long to watch it.

[nebbit]

I am not a fan of Adam Sandler, i did like this movie, not one i want to watch over and over :nope:

[NewDawnFades]

A very well-done film. The use of colors was absolutely brilliant.

[SpoOkY]

Yeah I thought the use of sound was brilliant too combined with the excellent cinematography. I loved the shots of when he loses it and how the sounds of the scene go funny/distorted right before he rages. It pushes a real sense of non-reality based thinking where the rage just takes him over. Also the story was appealing but a little too intense for most viewers, having said that I love intense movies so it was right up my alley.

[I am Jack's broken heart]

This movie was so original and it's good to see an actor like Sandler taking on roles that he's not accustomed to.

[ilsailor]

Adam sandler is a great actor, but in this movie his performance was not his best. I only watched the first 30 minutes and I wanted to fall asleep. I just hope he doesn't make another one like this in the future.

[Dtwizzy2k8]

Punch Drunk Love is PTA's only bad movie IMO. I came into the movie with high expectations, and the first act set up the movie with a lot of potential only to let us down completely. The film can't decide what genre it is, as it recklessly swerves from drama to comedy to romance and back. Adam Sandler's performance was good, but the relationship that develops between him and his completely ordinary girl is entirely unconvincing and not believable in the least bit. The plot point with Sandler going all the way to Hoffman's store to confront him is not believable either, as I would have expected a strongman who runs a phone sex op to swiftly put someone like Sandler with Social Anxiety Disorder in his place.

There were just too many flaws in this movie, and I walked away from it completely disappointed and uninterested.

[earlsmoviepicks]

My favorite from AS by far. Not a big fan of his romantic comedies.

[wintertriangles]

Punch Drunk Love is PTA's only bad movie IMO. I came into the movie with high expectations, and the first act set up the movie with a lot of potential only to let us down completely. The film can't decide what genre it is, as it recklessly swerves from drama to comedy to romance and back.I dunno, I never had a problem with genre bending, especially because Anderson never sticks to one in the first place, so I was accustomed, but as far as it not being believable, is the concept of surreal too far-fetched? Two people who both need companionship is all it takes, the fact that they're both weird is what made the film interesting.

[Godoggo]

I love this movie a lot. A movie doesn't have to limit itself to one genre as long as it hits all the right notes in each one. As far as I am concerned Punch-Drunk is successful in each genre it falls into.

I love their relationship. I think Lena is exactly the girl who would fall for Barry.

As for Barry confronting Hoffman's character, Barry is able to do that now because he is in love. He has a power in him he didn't have before. I think that is more to the point than anything being realistic or not.

[Dtwizzy2k8]

Ya i get that his love was supposed to give him this newfound confidence and power, but it still wasn't convincing. You have to draw the line somewhere, right? I mean, you wouldn't accept it if Sandler threw a punch at The Rock or something would you? Characters still have to be consistent, despite the changes they undergo.
The movie did not go for a surreal approach, so I can't give it that pass. There was nothing about the film that suggests it was meant to be surreal.
Also, the girl Sandler loves is just an ordinary girl not a weirdo. So why would she even continue to date Sandler, let alone love him? It's just entirely unconvincing, and by the end of it you're wondering "who cares?" I see movies like Silver Linings Playbook and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind as being far superior romantic movies that are actually convincing and make sense.

[Godoggo]

I just don't see the inconsistency. Barry has always had rage problems. Why is it so unbelievable that he would go and confront Hoffman's character. I don't really get the Rock comment. He wasn't cast, Hoffman was. He is not the most physically threatening man in the world. Why couldn't Barry kick that man's butt?

Surreal or not surreal, movies can make up any reality they want. As long as everything follows the rules of the reality created I could care less if the movie makes sense in this world. Only that it makes sense in its own world.

I don't have a problem with you not liking Punch-Drunk at all, I just disagree that the problems you have with it are problems that the movie actually has. :D

We are at an impass about Lena. I still say she's delightfully kooky and that she would totally fall for Barry. I think she (as did I) would find him saying, "I'm looking at your face and I just want to smash it" incredibly romantic.

[Dtwizzy2k8]

Barry doesn't have rage problems. He has Social Anxiety Disorder, and on occasion he vents by lashing out on inanimate objects out of frustration for his own shortcomings. He would never go all the way to Hoffman and confront him, that is completely inconsistent with Social Anxiety Disorder. Hoffman's character is a strong man who runs a phone sex operation, I don't believe somebody like that who projects power over his women (basically a pimp) would just let Barry get in his face without putting him in his place.

The movie does not create it's own reality with its own rules; by all indications, the film takes place in our reality. You can call Lena "kooky" but she wasn't nearly kooky enough to fall for someone with Social Anxiety Disorder who collects pudding coupons. Let's be real. As a counterexample, consider Kate Winslet's character in Eternal Sunshine. Now THAT was a kooky character who we can believe would fall for Carrey's withdrawn character due to opposites attracting.

We just have a differing opinion, but I just have a lot of issues with this film.

[Godoggo]

You seem to misunderstand me when I speak of reality. It doesn't have to go as far as science fiction or fantasy to tweak reality a bit and create rules of your own. Like when nuns burst into song or guns fire under water. It's like when someone tells a story and the fish gets bigger or the girl gets hotter. It's close to the reality that actually is, but not quite. Certainly, Punch-Drunk has exaggerated reality for the benefit of the story. Don't most movies?

I think you've diagnosed Barry yourself. Nowhere in the movie does it say what Barry's diagnosis is (if any). If anything all signs point to autism or asperger's (the score and the colors back this up. Not having a stated diagnosis, Barry doesn't have to act within the confines of one. Wether or not a person with social anxiety disorder is capable of confrontation is another conversation and one I'm not interested in having.

At what point is Hoffman's character shown to be physically strong?

[Lucas]

I thought this film was fantastic! The cinematography was beautiful. The color, and sound design was top notch. And Adam Sandler's performance was so subtle and reserved, it's pretty cool to see him in a movie that's not that bad.

[Deadite]

It was so-so. Uneven. I never really felt the love story. It wasn't very funny for me, just occasionally amusing. I could relate to his character a bit, though. Not awful but definitely not great.

[rauldc14]

Not that good of a film, IMO. And I'm a fan of Sandlers older stuff, but this wasn't all people make it out to be.

[ezetuw]

I actually kind of love this movie. It's very simple and very surreal, but that's just it. Adam Sandler is perfect, he's never given such a perfect performance before and never will again.

It's the simplest of plots, actually almost non-existent. It just basically puts you in the mind of this extremely shy, socially awkward, anxious and lonely person in every way, using sound and images in just the perfect order to feel the oppression he's constantly feeling. Simple but perfect IMO.

[TONGO]

I liked this flick. I thought the love story was cute, and Im a big fan of Emily Watson.

[Gideon58]

PUNCH DRUNK LOVE was an unsettling, unbelievably claustrophobic, and riveting film experience...easily Adam Sandler's finest hour.:cool: