Punch-Drunk Love

Punch-Drunk Love

Director: Paul Thomas Anderson. 

Written By: Paul Thomas Anderson. 

Photography: Robert Elswit.

Starring: Adam Sandler, Emily Watson and Philip Seymour Hoffman. 

Year: 2002.  

County: USA.

 Punch-Drunk Love is the fourth film from my man-crush Paul Thomas Anderson. Or PT, as he lets me call him (in my mind).  

 Lets get this straight to star with: Adam Sandler movies suck, in general anyway. And nobody likeable likes Adam Sandler. But Punch-Drunk Love is an exception, as is Funny People and as I understand, although I haven't seen it, Reign Over Me. Surprisingly, he gives a good performance in this, too. Sandler does actually have the capability of being a good actor, but much like Nicolas Cage, has a tendency to overplay his characters.

 The rule of thumb for Adam Sandler movies: If he wrote/directed/produced - avoid. Just acted - probably terrible, small chance it might be good. 

 Philip Seymour Hoffman, who's one of my favourite actors, also stars, although one of my major disappointments with Punch-Drunk Love is that he's not in it nearly enough. I'm really exited to see him and PT Anderson working together again later this year in The Master. 

 As well Phillip Seymour Hoffman it also stars Emily Watson, who I don't always like, but do in this. 

 Paul Thomas Anderson's direction is masterful, he's often crowned as the new Kubrick or new Altman, which are defiantly fair statements. Every part of its direction is fantastic, from stage direction to sound design. 

 Anderson worked on the sound for the movie with composer Jon Brion from pre-production to post to created a fantastic track. There's a drum beat that plays continually for about 10+ minutes that makes you feel like you've been doing half an hour of a treadmill (I imagine, I've never exercised In my life). Near the end I was literally screaming at the screen for it to stop. 

 There's also a interesting use colour in the film. For example Adam Sandler's famous blue suit that he wears throughout represents sadness, red represents danger and white isolation.  

 Romantic-Comedy is a sub-genre that's been tarnished by many terrible rom-coms in a post-There's Something About Mary world. With the abundances of Katherine Heigl movies in cinemas it's sometimes hard to forget that romantic comedies have to potential to be When Harry Met Sally-great (Now is a good time to give thought to the late Nora Ephron). Punch-Drunk Love isn't great, but it's good, and worthy of many laughs and multiple viewings.