Just finished my review...I write for The Daily Pennsylvanian (independent paper for Univ. of Penn.)...Lemme know what you guys think:
Why should Penn students care about the new Adam Sandler movie? After all, we are all intellectuals who hunger for each and every First Friday and would never be caught dead at anyplace except our beloved Ritz theatres. For all Ivy League artistic elitists, Adam Sandler – once the pubescent hero of Billy Madison and Happy Gilmore – now represents the lowest common denominator of comedy, a champion of commercial movie theatres and petty comedy. Beginning this Friday, however, Sandler has a steady engagement at the Ritz. And surprisingly, we should be thankful for it. Sandler, star of Paul Thomas Anderson’s fourth feature film, Punch Drunk Love, makes his much anticipated “dramatic turn” as Barry Egan, a decorative plunger salesman and pudding collector. If Mr. Deeds still brings about images of Adam Sandler dancing on Frank Capra’s grave (yes, we know, your friend made you go), Punch Drunk Love makes amends to the movie gods.
Much of the talk surrounding Punch Drunk Love concerns Sandler’s participation in a film with much more legitimacy than his standard comedic fare. After all, Paul Thomas Anderson is the mastermind behind Boogie Nights and Magnolia, while Sandler is, um, The Waterboy. For those of you who find Flubber more entertaining than Dead Poets Society, and who think that Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls trumps The Truman Show, fear not. While such “serious” directors as PTA and Quentin Tarantino have expressed an interest in Sandler’s services, they seem more interested in honing his current skills then developing new ones. You will neither see Sandler falling to his knees and bellowing the name of a lost love, nor will he stroll into West Philadelphia and show a bunch of troublesome youngsters how to love baseball. In Punch Drunk Love, Sandler actually has a character built around his “act.” He still speaks funny, as well as doing his fair share of kicking and screaming. Yet, you will not laugh at Sandler when he kicks and screams in this film. Rather as you chuckle at the situation, you will laugh with Anderson and be drawn into the character that he has created for Sandler. And the character is as much a credit to Anderson’s writing as it is to Sandler’s flawless performance. Yes, that’s right, I used “Adam Sandler” and “flawless performance” in the same sentence. I guess this means Penn dining will be appetizing now too, huh?
Boogie Nights and Magnolia are beloved by PTA fans, but Punch Drunk Love is his best “film.” There is no “cool” gimmick in the film to immediately hook you: the film lacks the 70s setting or “Tame the cunt!” attitude of PTA’s previous films. Punch Drunk Love, however, takes the tired romantic comedy genre (beaten down by the likes of Julia Roberts and Freddie Prinze Jr.) and turns it upside down. There is romance, but there is also phone sex, a harmonium and pudding. And Emily Watson plays Lena, the girl Sandler falls for, and while her looks may not compare to previous Sandler co-stars like Joey Lauren Adams and Drew Barrymore, her performance enhances her physical features, and she might turn you on to British accents. Just like Barry, Lena looks for love for the wrong reasons, yet finds love despite her errors.
The film is small and simple, yet so perfect. I don’t buy into romances all too often, but I could not help but smile as Lena and Egan embraced in a lush Hawaiian hallway, all set to Jon Brion’s quirky, percussion-focused score. Paul Thomas Anderson takes the tired romantic comedy genre, the weary act of Sandler, and the joys of pudding to craft a masterpiece. If that doesn’t sell you, then get back to Flubber.
