Punch-Drunk Love (2002)

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Barry Egan is a small business owner with seven sisters who kept him alone and unable to fall in love. When a harmonium and a mysterious woman enter his life, his romantic journey begins.

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Directed By: Paul Thomas Anderson

Written By: Paul Thomas Anderson

Starring: Luis Guzmán, Adam Sandler, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Emily Watson, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Don McManus, Karen Kilgariff, Jason Andrews, Rico Bueno, David Schrempf, Seann Conway, Hazel Mailloux

Genres: Romance, Comedy, Drama

Country: USA

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Punch-Drunk Love belongs to 85 collections

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TCI | Percentile | Date Rated | # Stars (Reviews)

Stars	User	Rating
8	Philip	97 _98th
People kept saying; "Adam Sandler is actually good in this one". I didn't believe them. I mean, how could I? So I watched it. Turned out he was good. Actually, he was very good. And so was the rest.
6	Paxton	79 _85th
Pffft. You should hear my wife and I pillow talk.
5	paulofilmo	75 _94th
Like a jazz improv, with the illusion of being made in flow. Unmemorable in the best sense; unassuming, expressive in the moment with kaleidoscopic changes of light, shape, colour, sound. Take the poster shot, left: the characters reunite in bright, warm Hawaii, then the gaze switches from a melodramatic mid-shot to this figurative dance of silhouettes. Artisanal filmmaking.
4	Derekstar	90 _85th
I was incredibly uncomfortable for the majority of this movie, feeling second hand embarrassment for Sandler's character. But that's okay, because feeling this way made the... let's call it redemption... of Barry all the more satisfying. This is my fourth P.T. Anderson viewing experience, and I'm always seem to underestimate him. Damned near perfect every time. I should probably just own up to the fact that he's one of my new favourite directors.
4	Farzan	88 _87th
I myself grew up with three older sisters, my mother, as well as a number of her female friends for the majority of my life; no brothers or father. As a result, I resonate strongly with Barry Egan. PTA always has had a strong eye for visuals, and Punch-Drunk Love delivers. Sandler is wonderful as the emotionally unstable Barry Egan. With this character, Sandler creates an emotional roller coaster whilst simultaneously making us laugh at his misfortune. A unique and beautiful triumph from PTA.
4	jmarkthespot	100 _99th
(re-watch) I really missed how great this film is the first time around. Sandler was born for this role, and as far as I'm concerned it's right up there with (if not better than) There Will Be Blood. PTA's incredible direction makes this easily the best film from 2002 and PSH owns as well.
4	Josh Forrest	85 _97th
and bye bye
3	Okkervil	100 _99th
Just utterly stunning. One of the few films that when I saw it for the first time, I re-watched it again immediately! PTA is one of the most gifted film makers of his generation, and this is a perfect example of his range, creativity and diverse talent. Simply one the finest love stories ever put on film, and just beautiful to behold, to me it really is near enough perfect! I cannot explain on how many levels this film connects with me. Also Sandler is surprisingly sensational!
3	CMonster	96 _99th
The best way I can describe it is beautifully stressful. The music, contrast, lens flares, pacing, and acting made me feel very anxious. Yet, it works. It is funny, dramatic, romantic, surprising, and bizarre. The were three things that really stuck out to me that made this great. 1) PSH's performance. 2) Sandler's performance. and 3) PTA's ability to make long scenes with 0 or almost 0 cuts. It's amazing to see how well the directing is and shot is set up when it goes 5 min without a cut.
2	Pickpocket	9 _93rd
If you can get past the fact that it's Adam Sandler not playing Adam Sandler then you are in for a treat. Fun, witty and "business is very food" is one of the best mistakes ever.
2	Alex Watkins	4 _70th
Feels minor in comparison to PTA's best, but is nonetheless a damn good film, and very charming in its eccentricity. Egan isn't "normal" in any sense, but works as an everyman because Sandler makes him a sympathetic figure, projecting his insecurity, fear, anger and desire to fit in. PTA hits on a melancholy tone and never lets it up.
2	AFlickering	6 _87th
maybe a little too self-conscious in its pursuit of Movie Magic in the second half, but it's such an original, magnificently autistic vision, the aggressively micro-managed colour-coordinated environment constantly destabilised by the percussive, jittery camera and score, the ingeniously cast sandler wheeling through it like a shook up bottle desperately trying to keep its lid on. plus it really really upset lisa which is always funny to read.
2	caiman	94 _97th
This film has a beautiful rhythmic weirdness to it. Shots are over lit, dialog becomes hard to make out, voices overlap with ringing phones, and violence erupts unexpectedly. These oddities plunge us into Barry's strange mind. He's confused, he's angry, but he knows peace when he finds it, whether it's a girl with emotional problems (though not as many as Barry's), or the smooth texture and airy tones of a discarded harmonium. Bizarre, touching, and hilarious. I'm in love with this movie.
2	td888	20 _9th
It didn't work for me. Style over substance, but in this case it's all too much fragmented. I did wonder one thing: how much of Barry do we each have inside of us?
2	BillyShears	90 _92nd
There's some sad movie scene out there probably of someone watching Jack & Jill and the camera focuses in slowly on this playing in the background and I dunno a gunshot or some other artschool nonsense.
2	understamp	30 _23rd
Irritating movie, the only redeemable parts were Hoffman's appearances.
2	Leonardis	90 _65th
I may be rating this too high, but sue me. I loved it. Paul Thomas Anderson is an amazing director and writer, so I found this to be beautiful and very well-done of course. I also thought Sandler was pretty good and I love myself some Philip Seymour Hoffman. A good score and pacing help too. I wouldn't put this in my favorites from Anderson, but it's still good and worth watching if you are a fan of his work.
1	MartinTeller	73 _46th
Nice cinematography, and Anderson's heart is in the right place, but here he's trying too hard to break the rom-com mold. Adam Sandler's bid for credibility fails, and it seems like a waste of Emily Watson's talents. Flawed but generally enjoyable.
1	eveelun	77 _66th
A testament to the fragile male ego and a realistic depiction of the sheltered man-children seen so often in Sandler's (and other) comedies. It's stylish and charming, but a bit limited in scope (I have a hard time seeing why Watson loves Sandler so much, none of the female characters is very realistic, etc).
1	svicciarelli	85 _50th
brilliant but a bit too wrapped up in its own weirdness to be a truly great movie.
1	Christophilm	100 _96th
Best film of the century so far.
1	Oedipax	100 _96th
Simply sublime!
1	djross	40 _26th
Something about this movie does not work: it has an awkward, cloying quality that somehow never succeeds in being as original as the filmmakers clearly hoped it would be. My feeling is that Anderson, who made the best Hollywood movie of the decade from 2000 to 2009 (THERE WILL BE BLOOD) does not always know when he has crossed the line to cliché and contrivance (this is also a problem in MAGNOLIA, which is nevertheless a much better film than this one).
1	nutcrackr	81 _84th
Uniquely crafted love story with good doses ironic humour and nice use of music. Adam Sandler is not an idiot in this movie.
1	th_mertens	80 _81st
Punch Drunk Love is not only to be seen because of Sandler's unusual performance but because the sometimes brilliant camera work, the comforting love story, and P.T. Anderson's style. ... Do not aspect incredible depth in all this but be amazed by the wit and Adam Sandler. (never expected to be saying that last one)
1	Nathan S	4 _74th
Adam Sandler makes a surprising turn as the painfully awkward and emotionally stilted Barry Egan. The external pressures he faces make him sympathetic, from his mean-spirited family to an absurd phone sex racket. Anderson uses strange and exaggerated visual and sound design to communicate Egan's social anxiety. In the end it falls prey to some "inspirational romance" cliches, but in the hands of PTA, this is something pretty special.
1	HalfJapanese	95 _97th
My favorite Paul Thomas Anderson film. It's essentially a romantic comedy, but one with enough charming eccentricity and impressive camerawork to rise far above the murky depths typically associated with such a label. This is without question Adam Sandler's finest role.
1	twincinema	85 _85th
I didn't know Anderson could make 90-minute films.
1	Bojangles	95 _99th
On the blues, self harmony, and getting out of the house.
1	Tripwyre	90 _92nd
Anderson's oddly endearing rom-com thriller is a masterful piece of style: the long tracking shots are different, the colour scheme is gorgeous, and Jon Brion's score is a unique masterpiece, just bizarre enough to fit (and set) the tone of the film. Too bad there's not much substance. Sandler is good, Watson is cute, and Hoffman is so damn great you wish the movie did more with him. It's certainly a well-made film, but with a more involved plot, it could have been perfect.
1	JooJoo	7 _99th
Ridiculous & endearing in a cracked-out-romance-for-fucked-up-people sort of way. I happen to fit this bill, and even for PTA, this is one incredible feat in cinematography / color design / casting. I love it more on every watch.
1	frederic_g54	10 _97th
Radical; Washes over this viewer like an audiovisual stream of consciousness that beautifully reflects the instability of Barry Egan's mind. Just like his reclusion is kept at a believable level, so are his childlike sincerity and randoms fits of anger; Elements which, when combined, help shape his flawed yet likeable personality. It's been a while since I connected with a character, let alone a film, on such a level.
1	toffa_h	72 _41st
A simple story about the unconquerable power of love told through Paul Thomas Anderson's inventive cinematography. Adam Sandler plays his role surprisingly well.
1	Dustyd	90 _98th
Wonderful, Wonderful film. There isn't much of a story, but not every film needs a brilliant plot. I ejoy watch this film so much. I love everything about it. My only nitpick is that I would have liked more scenes with Emily Watson.
1	Icarus	95 _96th
A touching and oddly comic piece from Anderson. Simple in conception and story, the execution is what's really on display, particularly with the way Anderson plays with light, shadow, color, sound, and framing. The latter two serve to create a cramped and confined feeling through the bulk of the film, which on a formal level echoes what Sandler's character is dealing with in the story. Watson imbues her character with a quiet tenderness--a refreshing alternative in Barry's troubled world.
1	shannon0000	100 _96th
beautiful beautiful beautiful
1	TonythePony	72 _59th
As a story it never really captured my attention, but there is a stillness that Anderson creates that was enjoyable. To my astonishment, there was also quite a bit to admire in Sandler's performance. His outburst of impotent rage (not to be confused with his usual spastic rage) at Hoffman is particularly amusing, as is the implacable response.
1	Foenix	90 _81st
I'm impressed with Sandler's acting in this film. He is much better at playing a social phobic than at trying to be funny. I think this film gives a good description of how it feels to want to be with other people while being afraid of it at the same time.
1	HyphenateMe	50 _16th
This is me watching this movie "ugggggggggggggggggggggggggggggh."
1	fivetoed	20 _1st
I really like it if I assume that everything after the door-kicking scene is the fantasy of Sandler's character - it's exactly what a man who doesn't view women as people would fantasize. But that's not supported within the film itself, so it's just a cardboard drama with no reason for the characters to act as they do.
1	gnezelocin	80 _54th
Very nice aesthetics. Cute love story. Adam Sandler was wonderful in it.
1	MrCarmady	35 _5th
Irritating nonsense.
1	oldgoat	83 _88th
Surprising in many ways
1	Launch	65 _42nd
A strange film to say the least, but Sandler is very interesting in a different role then he is normally associated with. Not Paul Thomas Anderson's best, but still definitely worth a look.
1	Bown	88 _88th
It doesn't feel like it at first, because it isn't set in very original or interesting places, but the use of cinematography, costuming, music, set design, and lighting to illustrate the protagonist's state of mood here is absolutely, completely unparallelled. When I first saw this movie it felt too "small" to be on the same level of PTA's greats, but it's way better than it lets on, and Sandler's performance makes me angry that he chooses to produce and star in his same old juvenile shit.
1	Judo Koala	75 _53rd
It's rare to find many (American) films in the genre of magic realism, but PDL hits the mark on the qualities which make it so appealing: a bizarre sequence of events which question both Sandler's state of mind, and the viewer's ability to perceive it all as fantasy or reality. Its sharp script, beautiful cinematography (the hallucinogenic transitions were great), quirky music, and a surprisingly tender performance from Sandler collide in one of the most offbeat films I've seen recently.
1	mwgerb	81 _95th
Strangely hilarious, with Sandler playing a man with a laundry list of psychological issues (including a Hulk-like rage) trying to find love. The awesome cinematography of Anderson is an added bonus
1	Cinema_Asia	65 _42nd
Adam Sandler is a quirky dude doing quirky things in a quirky movie by P.T. Anderson. The main flaw is Adam Sandler himself. He's such an annoying presence and completely overexposed for the MTV generation that it takes you out of the film instantly. Even though the entire premise of the film is a realistic look at the "Adam Sandler" type character it still feels very contrived. This is P.T. Anderson's worst film in my opinion but even then it's still competently shot.
1	ScrumYummy	95 _98th
Adam Sandler proves that he has more to offer than jokes for the lowest common denominator.
1	jeff_v	90 _98th
Wonderful and unique. You know those scenes in cartoons when a guy gets kissed by a girl and his face turns red and steam shoots out of his ears and he hops around and makes a cloud-shaped heart in the air? This movie is kinda like that.
1	thewire	94 _95th
Just gotta let it wash over you.
1	wilsontj51	65 _22nd
Okay romance, not a lot happens and at the end you feel like you just spent the last 90 minutes watching Adam Sandler try to act, which he is only able to do a little bit. If it isn't physical comedy, yelling, or talking in a really high pitched voice the role just isn't suited to his abilities. You could probably impress some weirdos telling them you've seen it, but afterwards you realize you didn't care to impress them in the first place.
1	burmashave	97 _97th
I can relate to this character way too much
1	Noblet	87 _89th
The romance at the heart of the story isn't really done very well, it just sort of happens. But all the trouble Barry gets in makes for some great scenes. And for a romantic comedy, the visuals are really great.
1	Lord Moe	78 _42nd
A strange little romantic comedy-drama starring Adam Sandler. Yep, Adam Sandler. Don't go in expecting an "Adam Sandler movie" either, because you won't get one. Instead, you will find Adam Sandler doing a bang-up job of a dramatic role. He's actually very convincing, and it really took me by surprise. "Punch-Drunk Love" is not your conventional film. It's got romance and drama as well as a lot of dark comedy. It's totally unique and very entertaining.
1	guy piranha	75 _81st
For some people, love is like having a harmonium dumped on you. You've seen something like it before, but no clue what exactly to do with it. Yet it makes you feel strangely excited up to the point, when there's no other choice than to go along and learn how to make it work. And when you finally do, it can bring music to your trite existence.
1	Gnalkhere	90 _91st
Adam Sandler's funniest for the rest of his career until he gets his head out of his ass and consults actually funny people. Also Philip Seymour Hoffman was unforgettable
1	W00DY	71 _59th
A beautifully presented and very enjoyable film. I felt there were a few inconsistencies in Sandler's character and the plot's resolution was a little flimsy but there are enough brilliant scenes to gloss over these shortcomings. The score, cinematography, dialogue and Sandler's performance are all spot on.
1	lisa-	1 _1st
well, okay. this has got be one of the most horrible and irritating movies i have ever seen. god, adam sandler is shit. holy bloody hell. goddamn this movie sucks. maybe this is how some people feel when they watch moulin rouge. i dunno. but wow. and from the director of there will be blood. wow.
1	thereeldeal	85 _91st
Punch-Drunk Love is a very unexpected mix of palpably uncomfortable anxiety-ridden drama, frilly romance, and aburdist comedy that comes incredibly, incredibly close to imploding in on itself by becoming a wild mess - but there's just enough ambiguity to its strangeness to blur these cracks over and make it a really lovely trip. Any primary color focused design drives me wild too, and despite its simpler ambitions I have much smaller problems with PDL than There Will Be Blood or Boogie Nights.
1	philamental	47 _16th
I wanted to like this more than I did. However the film consciously tries to make the viewer feel the awkward anxiety of it's protagonist and it was so successful, I didn't enjoy it. Much of what I love about PTA is right there, but this one just isn't for me despite it's quality.
1	joel-w-m	9 _92nd
Delightfully bizarre-within-the-mundane (our lead has seven sisters and sells novelty plungers in a big storage locker) and artfully and purposefully constructed (the loud and constant soundtrack, sudden sounds, tracking shots, zooms all envelope us in Barry's anxiety; the colour flares are a cool touch too). It's a well-acted character study of a man just trying to cope in this overwhelming world, and the solace and redemption he finds strike all the right chords after so much dissonance.
1	Yoshinaruto	80 _90th
This is very odd and dark... I love it. I’ve consistently thought of PTA’s films as just good. Usually well crafted films with good actors, but either pacing issues or I just didn’t connect with the story. I found PDL to be a very interesting take on romantic comedies, and Sandler was fun to watch in this role. I was hoping for an ending more like There Will Be Blood, but this ending, while anti-climatic, isn’t bad. I’m probably the only one to have this as my fav from PTA.
1	PaulB1	98 _99th
"I have a love in my life. It makes me stronger than anything you can imagine. I would say 'that's that', Mattress Man."
1	BlakeEngel	9 _71st
Perhaps PTA's greatest movie. Described as "a musical where they never break into song". I love that he took Sandler's dumb character from his other films and realistically examined him here. The music is brilliant, the photography is brilliant, the blocking is brilliant. Such a fun movie, it makes you feel good, and the story is so brilliantly simple. I love to rewatch this one a million times. A top 10 movie.

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Average Percentile 60.08% from 7298 Ratings