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Punch-Drunk Love (Superbit Special Edition) Customer Reviews (1 - 3 of 81 Reviews)

Know What You're In For Before You See This
Boy, did this movie disappoint a lot of people.....but not me.

The "disappointed" were the Adam Sandler fans who expected another "Happy Gilmore"-type character, the kind of goofball the comedian has built a career on portraying. Instead, they got a dark comedy/drama that was anything but the typical Sandler fare. They also got a weird story.

I had the advantage of knowing what to expect, and that helped a lot. Also, I guess I've watched too many movies because I am beginning to like some of these oddball films....and this one certainly qualifies as "odd." I thought the mixture of dark humor, drama, suspense and romance all made for a fascinating film. You just never knew what was coming next, something funny or something horrifying. This is definitely something different and I suspect one of those movies you'll either really like or really hate.

I supposed it helped I like Emily Watson, who is the female love interest in here. No one that nice would keep seeing a wacko like Sandler's character in here, but that's the movies for you. In most cases, you have to suspend your belief.

The storyline, whether pleasant or very unpleasant, got me involved and the camera-work in here was interesting, too. In summary, it's a curiosity piece for those who like something different. Just don't expect a happy, hilarious Happy Gilmore.

Sandler Wins Oscar for Best Actor!
Okay, so Adam Sandler DIDN'T get an Oscar nomination for this film . . . and the reason he didn't is because he's Adam Sandler. There's no other way to figure this one, as he lays bare his character's soul with revealing acting that seems very real and "organic."

This is an extraordinary film; it creatively mixes pathos, sound effects, long camera takes, and claustrophobia into a heady combination. You can check other reviews for plot details. I would simply encourage the viewer to notice how nearly every "space" you see on-screen is tightly enclosed. Shot in apartments, industrial parks, and supermarkets, nearly every frame in the film takes place in a constricted and sterile environment . . . and this somehow makes the film's romance blossom even more dramatically.

Frankly, I think this is a brilliant film, and a funny one as well, though certainly not in a HAPPY GILMORE sense.

(SIDENOTE: I have five sisters, and since Sandler's character has seven, I may have been able to relate to his travails more than the usual viewer. You only children out there may find this film unfathomable.)

I "Punch-Drunk Love" It
While I'm not a huge fan of Paul Thomas Anderson I do enjoy this film very much for more cinematic purposes and from the perspective of a director. If you're looking at this film because you love the goofy, lovable, jackass; Adam Sandler then you will be thoroughly disappointed. Adam Sandler becomes a completely different actor completely and surprises and shocks the audience by his acting capabilities. His performance will leave you uncomfortable, touched and enlightened. Emily Watson (as always) plays a lovable British sweetheart that is very interested in Adam Sandler's character. The two of them create a heart melting romance that changes and helps Adam Sandler's character through his struggles with life and being able to break barriers as a person.

The film starts out showing us the awkward and unorthodox life of Barry Egan (Sandler) and relationship with his: seven sisters, his business partner (played by Luis Guzman), and a conflict that he encounters with a phone sex-line company that threatens to send their gang of "brothers" lead by Academy Award Winner Phillip Seymour Hoffman when Barry refuses to pay them money. Barry is a quiet person that is rather anti-social and is embarrassed easily, he hides behind his lies and denial so that his girlfriend Lena Leonard (Emily Watson) doesn't think that he's a loser. But when the `brothers' begins to ask to hard and begins to cause Barry and Lena's relationship harm, Barry stands up for the woman he loves.

While many argue to say that this film has no plot, I ask "Are you completely out of your mind?" The film is a beautiful portrait of a relationship and how love changes people and makes them step outside of their comfort zones. I truly recommend for the open-minded and insightful.

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