Paul Thomas Anderson is a filmmaker who makes movies that aren't exactly intended for mainstream audiences. Before "Punch-Drunk Love," he made "Hard Eight," "Boogie Nights," and "Magnolia," three excellent, and very un-Hollywood movies. Critics, film geeks, and film snobs love his movies. The average joe, however, probably does not. They would consider his movies to be pretentious, stupid, and "artsy-fartsy."
Early in the year 2000, I walked out of "Magnolia" really impressed with it. The girl I saw it with hated it with a passion, but that shoulda been expected. I shoulda realized she'd hate it when she told me that "The Wedding Singer," an Adam Sandler movie, was her favorite movie of all-time. I mean, I like "The Wedding Singer," but come on!
Movies that star Adam Sandler are very different from movies made by Paul Thomas Anderson. Adam Sandler movies are made for... well, to put it delicately, a less sophisticated audience. His movies have fart jokes and ridiculous slapstick humor. They're dumb, silly movies that critics hate. The average Joe really seems to get a kick outta those movies, though. Me personally, I like some of his movies. They're far from great, but they're entertaining, and a fun escape from the monotony of life. The Adam Sandler movies I like the most are "The Waterboy" and "The Wedding Singer."
It was a big surprise to me, and most other film lovers, when it was announced that Paul Thomas Anderson was gonna make a movie starring Adam Sandler. That's right, the writer/director who made a two and a half hour film about the porn industry, and followed that with a sprawling, operatic 3-hour epic, would be working on a 90-minute Adam Sandler film. Did hell officially freeze over? What's next? Will the exceptional director of "L.A. Confidential" be making a movie starring Eminem? Oh, wait a minute...
So what do you get when you cross Adam Sandler with a Paul Thomas Anderson film? You get a movie that most Adam Sandler fans will hate. Adam Sandler may be the star, but this is definitely a Paul Thomas Anderson film, and Mr. Anderson is up to his old tricks again. As usual, there are doses of symbolism, surrealism, and that very dark sense of humor. Basically, you get the kinda character that Adam Sandler would typically play, and put him in the middle of a Paul Thomas Anderson movie.
Some of you may be wondering how Adam Sandler is as an actor when placed in a movie that's off the beaten path. Well, I never thought he was a very good actor. In fact, I always thought he was pretty bad, perhaps even worse than Keanu Reeves and Ryan Phillippe (though at least Adam Sandler always had the good sense to stay in his element). But in the hands of Paul Thomas Anderson, Adam Sandler surprised me. He won't get any Academy Award nominations, but in this movie, he did a great job with his character (a character I found myself relating to quite a bit, by the way). Whether or not Paul Thomas Anderson would be able to do the same thing for Keanu Reeves and Ryan Phillippe remains to be seen.
Playing Adam Sandler's love interest is the doe-eyed Emily Watson (she was recently in "Red Dragon" as "Reba," the blind girl). It's hard not to like her in this movie. She's cute, quirky, and VERY understanding. Her performance is sweet and endearing. Also, there are two Paul Thomas Anderson regulars in the film, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Luis Guzmán. Hoffman is an awesome character actor who has been in all of Paul Thomas Anderson's films. He was also in "Red Dragon" with Emily Watson as the sleazy reporter. Guzmán played lotsa villainous roles in the 80s, but in the 90s and today, he's been playing more likable characters in movies for Paul Thomas Anderson and Steven Soderbergh. Philip Seymour Hoffman and Luis Guzmán are always great to watch.
When it comes to Paul Thomas Anderson movies, I always seem to like them better after the second or third time I've seen it. Indeed, I gave both "Boogie Nights" and "Magnolia" an 8, though I'd give them both higher ratings now (I'd probably give "Magnolia" a 9 and "Boogie Nights" a big, fat 10). He seems to make movies that I enjoy when watching for the first time, but after watching it a second or third time, I end up liking it even more. I'm sure it'll be the same thing with "Punch-drunk Love." I like the movie a lot, but when I get the DVD and watch it a couple more times, I'll like it even more.
"Punch-drunk Love" isn't for everyone, especially most Adam Sandler fans. I can also see other kinds of people not enjoying it. Some will be distracted by some of the quirks, such as the fact that Adam Sandler wears that blue suit as often as April O'Neil wears her yellow jumper (unless you're familiar with the "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" cartoons from the late 80s, you have no idea what I'm talking about). I think that the only people who will really love this movie are Paul Thomas Anderson fans... and I'm definitely a Paul Thomas Anderson fan. If you are, too, then go see this movie.
Scale of 1-10: 8