Punch-Drunk Love
September 2003 Reviewed by: Rad Bennett Format: DVD	(all ratings out of 5): Overall Enjoyment Picture Quality Packaged Extras Sound Quality

Though one might have admired the way director Paul Thomas Anderson keenly observed his characters in two of his previous films, Boogie Nights and Magnolia, one might have wished his astute observations were given to characters that were more likable. He has done this in Punch-Drunk Love, an off-center gem, and a romantic look at two people falling in love against tremendous odds.

Adam Sandler plays Barry Egan, a young businessman who presents a childlike, everything’s okay front to the public, but who is seething inside with anger and sadness. Most of his problems seem to be brought on by his seven sisters, who tease him relentlessly about his past, and are on his case every moment of his waking life. One of the audience’s first glimpses of Barry’s anger is at a birthday part for one of the sisters, where Barry presents a calm exterior, then suddenly explodes, kicking out the glass in the patio doors.

Lena Leonard (a very appealing Emily Watson) falls into Barry’s life and the two are immediately attracted to each other. As scripted, Barry is a sympathetic character but scarcely one that we would think of as a romantic lead. However, a subtext in Anderson’s wry script seems to be that there really is "someone for everyone." Barry follows Lena to Hawaii where they meet in a remarkable scene cast in silhouette. Barry has gotten involved with a sex telephone-line scam and this subplot starts to cross over into the main one, with unexpected results. This is one of the most refreshing things about Anderson’s script. Though it follows the basic boy-meets-girl scenarios of other films, the process by which they end up together is often unpredictable.

Anderson’s visual style is also fresh and daring, with a delightful surprise around every corner. Rather than fading to black all the time, there are transitional scopitones, patterns, and color washes with recurring motifs. The first time one of these is employed, it seems odd, but later the process seems perfectly normal in the world Anderson has created for this movie. In Punch-Drunk Love, real and romantically enhanced action co-exists with uneasy, yet perfectly understandable compatibility.

This film should change Adam Sandler’s career. Freed of the simplified scripts that have plagued his other movies, he proves capable of a complex, multi-layered portrayal that makes Barry a likable -- yet severely flawed -- character. After a while, the audience can clearly see that his calm exterior hints at the darker, brooding man underneath. Subtle and persuasive, his performance should have received greater notice.

The DVD transfer is excellent. The anamorphic video has admirable color balance and good, if not state-of-the-art, definition. The audio tracks, which successfully reproduce complex dialogue as well as Jon Brion’s deceptively simple yet highly involved soundtrack music, are among the best I have heard this year. The extras, however, are really a sham. Though an entire second disc is devoted to them, they are not only brief but also unsatisfactory. The scopitones, for instance, are presented, yet there is no discussion or demonstration as to how they were created. The two deleted scenes are lame, as is "Blossoms and Blood," a 12-minute "film" that merely offers highlights of the movie. There is no director’s commentary.

One final note: If you have a partner or spouse who sees the world in the same peculiar light as you do, try to see this film with him or her. It is not a dumbed-down date movie for everyone, but I saw it with someone I love and am happy I did. It is a great movie for eccentrics who like romance but also appreciate a bit of fresh and original style.

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