Punch-Drunk Love
Rated R
Opening today at area theaters
Three-and-a-half reels out of four
Punch-Drunk Love is one of those movies that when you try to describe it to friends, you politely smile, then hem and haw, grasping for just the right words.
You don’t want to say it’s a comedy because there are some very uncomfortable yet real moments in it. "Drama" is a tough sell, too, because it’s too funny to fit that genre. So what is it?
Basically, one of the more original movies to appear in a long while. It also contains a frighteningly good performance by Adam Sandler and the great supporting cast one expects in a Paul Thomas Anderson movie.
Sandler plays Barry Egan, the sad-sack owner of a small business and brother of seven sisters. Because of abuse he has suffered, love has eluded Barry and he has remained alone. When he resorts to a phone-sex line for mere companionship, the operation’s owner (Phillip Seymour Hoffman) blackmails him.
Barry’s luck changes in a big way, however, when he finds a loophole that allows him to earn 1 million frequent-flyer miles by purchasing $3,000 worth of pudding. A mysterious woman (Emily Watson) and a harmonium enter his life, and romance flourishes.
Anderson has made a bold movie that flirts with greatness, even if it could only get its telephone number and a kiss on the cheek. It’s not everyone that can pull off such a feat of derring-do.
Often, when a director tries to mix comedy and drama, the result can be that both ends suffer. It can be hard to take the drama seriously, or the comedy can seem forced. Anderson has not only mixed genres, but different types of comedy.
When Barry is left to his own devices, Punch-Drunk Love feels like an independent film about people on the fringe. But when Barry meets Rebecca (Watson), it slowly becomes not only a romantic comedy, but a particularly good one at that.
Anderson has earned a reputation for non-traditional casting. He cast Burt Reynolds as a porn impresario in Boogie Nights, and Tom Cruise as a sleazy self-help guru in Magnolia. Both actors received Oscar nominations for their efforts. I can’t really say if Sandler will get nominated, but I wouldn’t be shocked if he does. It is a truly virtuoso effort. What’s really interesting is that in some ways, Sandler is playing a role not that different than his other characters, who are also usually guys on the fringe.
I’m guessing Anderson saw that and may have wondered, "Hmm, what if he could do that stuff in a better movie?" The main difference here is that Sandler must often sit back and react, and he does that very well.
The rest of the cast is uniformly marvelous. Watson is girlish, sexy and mysterious as the girl who steals Barry’s heart. Anderson regulars Luis Guzmén and Phillip Seymour Hoffman are also fun to watch.
Punch-Drunk Love is a feel-good movie in the true sense of the phrase. When I left the theater, I felt refreshed, challenged and somewhat enlightened. I think you will, too.
Recommended rental
Lucky Break
PG-13
Available Tuesday
A whimsical little charmer (or is it a charming bit of whimsy?) from Peter Cattaneo, the director of The Full Monty. James Nesbitt plays Jimmy, a small-time crook who ends up in the joint after a botched bank robbery. When he discovers that the warden (Christopher Plummer) has written a musical about Admiral Horatio Nelson, a light bulb appears over his head: manipulate the warden into doing his show with prisoners playing all the roles, get himself cast in the production and bust out afterwards. As in his previous movie, Cattaneo seems to have a gift of getting comedy out of dark situations.
