Punch-Drunk Love (2002)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Tim S

  
  I'm late to the game in seeing this one from Paul Thomas Anderson. I love his work, and I'm always eager to seek out other films that he's done. He hasn't done too many, as of this writing, but I always look forward to more. Punch-Drunk Love is probably the most… More
  I'm late to the game in seeing this one from Paul Thomas Anderson. I love his work, and I'm always eager to seek out other films that he's done. He hasn't done too many, as of this writing, but I always look forward to more. Punch-Drunk Love is probably the most curious film he's ever made. It stars Adam Sandler, who I generally dislike in movies. It's strange because at a younger age when he was fresh off of Saturday Night Live and releasing comedy albums I liked the guy, but over time I just got tired of his laziness as an actor and a comedy writer. So I was walking on broken eggshells when seeing this one. Thankfully, thanks to strong direction from PTA, Sandler's acting style helps turn his performance into a very good one. Astonishingly good, I'd say. The story goes in different directions and defies conventions, which is what I enjoyed the most about it. I never knew what was going to happen next, and that rarely happens to me when I'm watching a film these days. It's a cute love story about two screwed up people coming together amidst the chaos of their lives, especially Sandler's. The score is great, as well. Overall, it's just a fun and enjoyable movie, albeit a little intense. I couldn't ask for anything more from PTA, or Sandler for that matter.

• Kase V

  
  Paul Thomas Anderson's 'Punch Drunk Love' is not an easy film to watch. It is probably PTA's most artistically driven film. Sandler provides a surprisingly good performance with his extreme bouts of rage and honest emotion. Hoffman adds a nice comedic touch to the… More
  Paul Thomas Anderson's 'Punch Drunk Love' is not an easy film to watch. It is probably PTA's most artistically driven film. Sandler provides a surprisingly good performance with his extreme bouts of rage and honest emotion. Hoffman adds a nice comedic touch to the film as well. Fans of PTA's other work will be delighted, but the average movie goer may have a lot to complain about.

• paul o

  
  In short, its an art house Adam Sandler film. With a marvelous direction from Paul Anderson, this obscure story blossoms toward the end. Despite its flaws, its a redemption from Magnolia and a great addition to the director's films.

• Graham J

  
  Paul Thomas Anderson uses Sandler perfectly in this very strange film. Sandler gives the best performance he ever has.

• Melvin W

  
  Barry: I didn't do anything. I'm a nice man. I mind my own business. So you tell me 'that's that' before I beat the hell from you. I have so much strength in me you have no idea. I have a love in my life. It makes me stronger than anything you can imagine. I… More
  Barry: I didn't do anything. I'm a nice man. I mind my own business. So you tell me 'that's that' before I beat the hell from you. I have so much strength in me you have no idea. I have a love in my life. It makes me stronger than anything you can imagine. I would say 'that's that', Mattress Man.  I can't even begin to describe how much I love Punch-Drunk Love. It's a mesmerizing, original, extremely odd masterpiece from Paul Thomas Anderson. Pudding, frequent flier miles, a harmonium and a sex talk phone line fuel the movie. So that should give you a little idea to how odd a movie this is. Adam Sandler in a role that gives him some freedom. It shows that he can act when he decides to break away from the dumb comedies he is always appearing in. He's so good in his role of Barry Egan that it almost makes me hate Sandler for not doing movies like this more often. A supporting role from Emily Watson is absolutely fantastic as well. Her and Sandler are amazing on screen together. Punch-Drunk Love is like nothing I have ever seen before and probably will never see again. I consider it to be probably in my top 5 favorite movies ever; I love it that much. All the odd little ins and outs that Anderson uses work so well together. There is a scene in the film where Barry is in his office talking to a girl he just met, while he is receiving  phone calls that are totally tearing his life apart; that is absolutely phenomenal. Scene after scene, weird, almost surreal events taking place that shouldn't work. Yet, somehow they do. It's a romantic-dramedy that doesn't follow the usual formula. It's something completely different from anything else.  Honestly if you don't like this movie and it's because your an Adam Sandler hater; you need to get over it and look past that. Hate all of his other movies, but here, he's amazing; just like the movie. I'm not a huge fan of Sandler, but I'm a huge fan of his work here. I believe he got robbed of an Oscar nomination just because of his name. Like, nominating him would take away from the Academies credibility. If your sick of formula driven, predictable romantic-comedies; give this one a watch. It may just blow you away like it did me.

• Kristijonas F

  
  This movie is the perfect example of Adam Sandler utilizing his lovable personality and comedic talent to create a fresh, off-kilter comedy rather than all the other derivative dreck that he pumps out year after year.

• Lewis C

  
  I'm in love with this movie. I can't begin to explain all the things it does right, all the things it does absolutely perfectly. It has just enough of everything; just enough humor, just enough style, just enough tension, just enough love, and it was just surreal enough to… More
  I'm in love with this movie. I can't begin to explain all the things it does right, all the things it does absolutely perfectly. It has just enough of everything; just enough humor, just enough style, just enough tension, just enough love, and it was just surreal enough to make it all make sense. I real can't think of any substantial complaints to make. The first few minutes were a bit disorienting, because it was just so different. I love getting a completely unexpected experience from a movie, and Punch-Drunk Love was as fresh as they come. The next time someone asks me what my favorite kind of movie is, I'll tell them that I love movies just like this one. Movies that are brazen mishmashes of genres and styles, adding up too much more than the sum of their parts. Paul Thomas Anderson must be a brilliant man. The story and direction was immense, and whoever put together this score must have been inspired by the Muses. The cast was marvelous. I'll never be able to look at Adam Sandler the same way, again. Emily Watson's character may be one of the most appealing fictional personages that has ever been imagined. I'm really not trying to gush like this, but I can't help it. Punch-Drunk Love is easily one of my twenty-five favorite movies, ever. No, it's not for everyone, but you owe it to yourself to try to watch it at least once.

• Jay H

  
  Something about Sandler's relationship to the film's rather bizarre plot just clicks, creating this moderately entertaining film that perhaps comes off as more well-made than it actually was.

• Lorenzo v

  
  <i>"I have a love in my life. It makes me stronger than anything you can imagine."</i> A beleaguered small-business owner gets a harmonium and embarks on a romantic journey with a mysterious woman. <center><font size=+2 face="Century… More
  <i>"I have a love in my life. It makes me stronger than anything you can imagine."</i> A beleaguered small-business owner gets a harmonium and embarks on a romantic journey with a mysterious woman. <center><font size=+2 face="Century Schoolbook"><b><u>REVIEW</u></b></font></center> Filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson once again shows his idiosyncratic talents at full tilt in this lopsided yet genuinely involving romantic comedy of off-beat proportions showcasing Sandler (in a surprisingly affective performance of his career) as a San Fernando Valley, CA small businessman whose bland lifestyle is out-of-balance when he meets a lovely young woman (Watson equally good) who inexplicably is smitten with each other in an unlikely meet-cute which leads to a series of surreal events. Sandler's man/child shlub is empathetic to a fault whether he's being emasculated by his seven harpy sisters, venting his pent up anger or soft-speaking his embroiled emotions all to a remarkable display of nuanced acting hitherto fore unseen. Funny, heartbreakingly poignant and highly original with tinges of pretentiousness are all earmarks of the uncanny Anderson (who also wrote the screenplay) who runs out of steam in the final act yet makes a big effort that cannot be overlooked as a talented show-off.

• Spencer S

  
  The surprisingly poignant, and dramatic performance by Sandler is Golden Globe worthy, and essentially, very well intact.

• Daniel J D

  
  I think I'll stick with the most striking description of the movie I've heard, and that is that this movie isn't for everyone but that everyone should see it.

• Conner R

  
  What is great about this is that it's not typical in any sense of the word. It has one of the kookiest plots about a normal man being invaded by sex calls and manipulated beyond belief. Adam Sandler and Emily Watson were perfect together and give you such sympathetic characters.… More
  What is great about this is that it's not typical in any sense of the word. It has one of the kookiest plots about a normal man being invaded by sex calls and manipulated beyond belief. Adam Sandler and Emily Watson were perfect together and give you such sympathetic characters. It's probably the best Adam Sandler has ever been in a movie, mainly due to the fact that he took himself seriously. I would love to see more of this from him.

• xGary X

  
  An emotionally repressed salesman woos his sister's colleague but blackmailers from a phone sex line complicate matters. I hate Adam Sandler, I think he is the least funny man on the planet. I have been conned into watching his films in the past because of the talent associated… More
  An emotionally repressed salesman woos his sister's colleague but blackmailers from a phone sex line complicate matters. I hate Adam Sandler, I think he is the least funny man on the planet. I have been conned into watching his films in the past because of the talent associated (namely Anger Management featuring Jack Nicholson) and my opinion did not change. Here we have a film directed and written by the excellent Paul Thomas Anderson who was responsible for some brilliant films, not least of which the very funny Boogie Nights. Punch Drunk Love is not one of them; the only reason I knew that this was supposed to be a comedy is because it was written on the back of the DVD cover. When will film makers realise that weird does not automatically equal funny...? All of the characters in this were unbelievably annoying and unsymapthetic not least Sandler himself, there are no laughs WHATSOEVER, and it's a tediously boring, charmless chore to sit through. He has managed to go from one end of the bad comedy spectrum (puerile and adolescently unfunny) to the other (irritating and pretentiously unfunny) in one step. Never again Sandler. NEVER AGAIN.

• Anthony L

  
  The only Paul Thomas Anderson/Adam Sandler film I like, and I really like this one!

• Dan S

  
  An overall disappointing romantic-comedy that I really expected a lot more from in the end. Sandler is magnificent, he's so good he should've got a Best Actor nomination for his part as an emotionally troubled individual who shows off other scary personalities from time to… More
  An overall disappointing romantic-comedy that I really expected a lot more from in the end. Sandler is magnificent, he's so good he should've got a Best Actor nomination for his part as an emotionally troubled individual who shows off other scary personalities from time to time. There are some nice artsy things here and there, such as the silhouettes of Watson and Sandler kissing, as well as some jolting scenes that correspond well with the lively score. Still don't understand the fuss over this movie in general though, the ending is too weak for my liking, the showdown between Sandler and Hoffman is lacking big-time, and you just get the feeling Anderson is really impressed with himself throwing in rainbow colors to spice up an overall dull and lifeless plot with a weird subplot. Atleast the running time is manageable, though.

• Megan S

  
  I really wanted to like this movie because I've seen almost all of his other movies and I've enjoyed him in serious roles like Reign Over Me. But this was just too much, too weird, too crazy. I've been told I need to wait a year, watch it again, and then see what I… More
  I really wanted to like this movie because I've seen almost all of his other movies and I've enjoyed him in serious roles like Reign Over Me. But this was just too much, too weird, too crazy. I've been told I need to wait a year, watch it again, and then see what I think.

• Cassandra M

  
  I have just seen Punch Drunk Love and I am still reeling from it. Watching this film is totally intoxicating as the sights, sounds and atmosphere literally swamp your mind and leave you feeling bemused and on edge - but yet satisfied. We often hear the phrase "jaw-dropping",… More
  I have just seen Punch Drunk Love and I am still reeling from it. Watching this film is totally intoxicating as the sights, sounds and atmosphere literally swamp your mind and leave you feeling bemused and on edge - but yet satisfied. We often hear the phrase "jaw-dropping", well at several points in the film I was deeply amazed and found myself so engrossed and stunned by the film that I think I was gazing on with my mouth widening in suspense and delight. Visually this is one of the best pieces of art I have ever seen, of course it is a film but the cinematography, the direction, and the musical score make this a sensory masterpiece. I was engulfed at times and there was so much going on in the film that I couldn't often pinpoint where it was coming from. I was very prepared to watch it again straight afterwards but I have decided to give it more time to sink in. P T Anderson is a complete master of film-making, we can add this to Magnolia, Boogie Nights and the recently released There Will Be Blood to name his most famous films which are all incredible in their own right. This is much more in the style of There Will Be Blood, and although it is different in subtle ways the psychological impact Punch Drunk love has is very similar. We also find the musical score being used throughout the film to add emotion, tension and edginess - this is perfected in a way that I can't recall from many other films. The soundtrack feels almost out of place at times, maybe overbearing but it is adding an extra layer of emotion that begins to burrow down in to your subconscious (that is to say that as a viewer it is not immediately apparent the effect it is having on you). I don't mean this to sound as it the score is intrusive - I think it is an amazingly effective technique to make you almost "feel" the film rather than observe it. Adam Sandler is not departing too widely from previous roles because he is playing a socially inept outcast with anger problems, but he is wonderful here and fits the role perfectly. Emily Watson brings an equally nuanced performance which further enhances the richly odd but beautiful flow to this unique film experience. I will readily admit that many people are going to find this jarring, lacking in storyline or just plain odd - I think that with this kind of art you either love it or hate it. I was totally blown away by this film and I am annoyed that I didn't see it until almost 6 years after its release. I cannot recommend this film highly enough, I haven't been so impressed by the technique, craft and ingenuity of film making for quite some time. Punch Drunk Love is a film that can easily overwhelm your senses and as the credits roll you may feel totally drained and bewildered - but wanting more. A real masterpiece.

• Chris W

  
  Sublime and surreal, this is quite a film from Paul Thomas Anderson. It is a smaller film from him, but one that is still as impressive as his others. The film is weird, as it is a surreal romantic dramedy, but like Brazil, despite that there are dark undertones (more subtle here than… More
  Sublime and surreal, this is quite a film from Paul Thomas Anderson. It is a smaller film from him, but one that is still as impressive as his others. The film is weird, as it is a surreal romantic dramedy, but like Brazil, despite that there are dark undertones (more subtle here than in Brazil) there is a quirky, uplifting feeling and charm as well...which I really enjoyed. The acting is superb-leave it at that. This film above all, is just wonderful to look at, and another reason for why it's so chraming and great.

• Arash X

  
  The only thing I didn't like in this was the love thing which was the main thing in the movie, I mean even the way Watson's character was attracted to the main character wasn't convincing

• Jennifer X

  
  I guess it did a good job of doing what it wanted to do - explore this borderline-mentally unstable man's head and how even he can find unexpected love. I like how it's not too quirky. But I don't like this movie. It makes me feel claustrophobic and paranoid. I… More
  I guess it did a good job of doing what it wanted to do - explore this borderline-mentally unstable man's head and how even he can find unexpected love. I like how it's not too quirky. But I don't like this movie. It makes me feel claustrophobic and paranoid. I don't like how I can't stop watching it even though I hate how I feel watching it. I don't like how it's nothing but a short sketch with barely any recognition of story story. I don't like how unexpectedly beautiful it can get and then plummet into nothingness. I guess it's one of Adam Sandler's better roles but I just don't like PTA's style.

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