Punch-Drunk Love Reviews

A singular, breathtaking, moving movie

Sandler's performance, the restlessly innovative direction, the beautifully playful score, the deadpan writing all amount to a master class in how to make movies original, funny and curiously fascinating. Creates a feeling in the viewer that simply cannot be described but seems to warm the whole soul. One of the best movies I have seen in years

Errmmm?

If you are a fan of Adam Sandler you will do what i did, and hire this movie. You will also be sitting at home a week after watching it wondering just what the hell it was all about, i still am! You wait ages for it to 'get going' and then it ends without ever doing so!

A film for the eyes and the ears

Barry Egan (Adam Sandler) is stuck in a rut. He owns a small novelty business that doesn’t really seem to be going anywhere. He doesn’t have many friends and his work colleagues think his a bit strange. His seven sisters constantly torment him. All of this changes however when one day he buys a blue suit to wear for work, finds a dumped harmonium outside his work place and a strange woman (Emily Watson) enters his life, this is where we see his story begin.

Punch Drunk Love is a film that needs to be watched on a big screen, with the volume and contrast turned to the max, because more than a good story, it is a film for your ears and eyes, creating a piece of art as pastel pinks and water coloured blues wash over the screen feeding your eyes, while strange noises plop and bubble into your ears.

The film is a love story shown through colours and sounds. There are no plot holes and unanswered questions that you need to dwell on well after he film has ended. It all makes sense in a wonderfully pretty way. Some Sandler fans may be well disappointed with his most bizarre role yet, whilst people that are not fans of Sandler’s work (like me), may be happily surprised at this role.

A kooky, bizarre yet sweet tale of Love told in a way that may not be to everyone’s tastes, Punch Drunk Love certainly will knock some of you sideways.

Different!! But top class.

This film starts off very strangely, where you can't really get a grip of what it is actually about. The filming, the characters, the music all combine to give you the sense that you literally don't know what is going to happen next. But with so many surprises in the film it is hard to turn off.

Sandler plays quite a dark character with a good heart, and he actually carries it off very well. I was expecting another comedy, in the big daddy, or Happy Gilmore kind of bracket, but I would actually put this among Sandlers greatest efforts. The supporting cast was also excellent, as was the writing.

This won't be everyones cup of tea, but if you like gripping drama, with a touch of irony, and a very different storyline, then this is certainly for you.

Errrrr......what can i say?

well firstly, it aint ya usual adam sandler film. im a huge fan of his but this one aint much cop. Its a kind of intriguing, weird, whats going on? film. and adam was not at his best, i dont know what he was thinking!!! Dont get me wrong, the film had its good bits (the parts that make u say...'ahhh....how sweet is he' but thats it....no real story line. To get down to the point....the film is about a weird man who is constantly annoyed by his 7 sisters, and he starts to trash things because of it. he then meets this girl, they fall in love...the end. Thats it!!!

overall rating..... :0(

Dreadful

I've seen this film 3 times now ( not through personal choice) and it is truly on of the most dreadful films I've ever seen. Having read the other reviews I can only think that they watched a different film or are so into 'artsy' flicks that you couold serve up a steaming pile of cats vomit and they'd talk rubbish about it for hours. It's not funny, it's not charming, it's not intelligent or sensitive, it's not well directed, it's pants is what it is. And total and complete ones at that

Punch, drunk & loving it!

I was dubious about this film at first because of Adam Sandler. I have seen a few of his films and they all portray him as a goofball with a stupid voice. Well his character in this film (Barry Egan) has the perfect dose of goofyness in a way few could pull off.

Barry Egan has trouble expressing himself, which results in spontaneous outbursts of violence. This is a story where Barry is being persued by outlaws after his money and trying to hold onto a new love.

This is a very emotional film, and Sandler can really make you relate to Barry's psychological condition. There is also a perfect amount of humour in-between the punch and love, although there are no drunk scenes!

The soundtrack is refreshing and gives some scenes a real edge and finishing touch. The direction is unpredictable but also very satisfying.

Philip Seymour Hoffman also deserves a mention for yet another outstanding performance.

All in all I say this is another incredible film from Paul Thomas Anderson, in my opinion his best to date.

Bizarre, yet oddly pleasing...

A strange film, but what a thing to see. Visually, the film is really impressive. The sound track is also stunning and adds a lot of depth to the film. The story is bizarre, but at least it is something different. Anyone who is bored with predictable and stale Hollywood films, this will interest you.

[Highly rated reviewer]

Punch Drunk Love

To my mind, even before this film Paul Thomas Anderson had a record among the very best of any director. I gave his debut Hard Eight 4 stars and his other two films Boogie Nights and Magnolia each 5 stars and places on my top 20. Given that Magnolia is joint number one in my top 20 I never expected PTA to top it with his next film, and he hasn't. That said Punch Drunk Love is still a brilliant film, one of the very best of 2003.

One of Anderson's great strengths is his ability to draw unexpected performances from people (Mark Wahlberg in Boogie Nights, Tom Cruise and Melora Walters in Magnolia) ad he does it again here. I'm no fan of Adam Sandler and, frankly, I was very worried that his central role here would hurt the whole film for me.

I needn't have worried, Anderson takes Sandler's trademark persona and twits it into at once a more beliveable character and a funnier performance than Sandler has ever delivered before. This is a man whose humour, along with all his other qualities we can relate to . Sandler actually handles the dramatic work and his romantic scenes with Emily Watson (a fine actress who could easily have shown him up) with great aplomb and its a great shame that no awards shows recognised him. Overall this has to go down as one of the most surprising performances since, well, Tom Cruise's in Magnolia.

As said above I think very highly of Emily Watson, her work in Lars Von Trier's Breaking The Waves stands as one of the great acting debuts of the last decade and she's always good value, even if the films are weaker than her contribution to them (Red Dragon). We may wonder why she falls so hard for Sandler but we never wonder for a second why he falls for her. Watson is quite charming in the role, believeable as ever, and also does another impeccable American accent.

Outside of the romantic narrative is some of the best material in Punch Drunk Love: Phillip Seymour Hoffman's turn as a phone sex operator/mattress salesman (providing one of the films best lines when Sandler finally manages to talk to him), a bizzare, fact based, sub-plot about pudding and Sandler's relationship with his seven sisters are all massively entertaining.

There's a feeling about Punch Drunk Love that Anderson is trying to prove he is no one trick pony and after two back to back epics with huge casts, multiple stories and long running times he has tackled something entirely different in a very simple story with just a few featured players and a 90 minute running time, It's a brave choice but Anderson pulls it off, seemingly effoortlessly.

There are a few minor issues with the film, the coloured patterns that break up the film took me out of it for a moment and the soundtrack can be overpowering (He Needs Me). These are nitpicks and do nothing to take away from the overall experience of Punch Drunk Love.

I HIGHLY recommend this film to anyone who would like to see a slightly different take on the traditional romantic comedy.

Punch Drunk Love is a great film and establishes Paul Thomas Anderson as the finest writer/director of his generation.

If you like this film are you a sad individual ?

More radical than Magnolia (another of this guy's films), you either get this film or you don't - just check out those split members review scores. My advice is -if you don't like the first 5 minutes forget it; but if you like what you see - you're in for a real treat.

The way the film opens is beautiful and sets up a strange tone which is so unique and idiosyncratic that it makes the whole watching experience a great sensory pleasure. First and foremost it's a terrific script. Sometimes it has you laughing out loud and other times your skin crawls. (If you've seen 'King Of Comedy', this is similar territory in terms of the odd feelings both films conjure in you).

I don't like Mr. Sandler usually but thought he played this amazingly desperate character really well. I often have a bit of a problem with Brits in American films and this was no exception - maybe it's just me but Emily Watson grated and was a weak link.

The end didn't quite do it for me but that apart, a really great film.

I think it's pretty amazing that a film can illicit such stark differences of opinion and my hunch is that in 20 years time it will be a firmly acknowledged masterpiece.