Punch-Drunk Love is hands-down the best film of 2002. From the acting and the writing to the directing and the scoring, it's a masterpiece on all levels.
Adam Sandler portrays Barry Egan, a shy, quiet, yet angry man who owns a company that sells toilet plungers. For no apparent reason, Barry is prone to fits of violence and crying sprees. He is the sole male member of his family, burdened with seven villainous sisters who demean him at every turn. At one point, they reminisce about how they used to call Barry "gay-boy" right in front of him.
One of Barry's sisters attempts to set him up with one of her co-workers, Lena Leonard, who is played by Emily Watson. After problems occur with the set-up, Lena asks Barry out, much to his surprise. He accepts. They get along quite well and have a great evening. But when Barry goes a little crazy in a bathroom, it becomes obvious that he doesn't need a psychiatrist, but rather anger management classes.
The only other plot thread is one based on fact: Barry has discovered an advantageous loophole in a promotion for Healthy Choice products. He figures that if you buy a certain amount of them, you can get one million frequent flyer miles. He wants to keep things secret so no one else finds out. His determination in succeeding with the promotion seems to be the only thing he has passion for. That is, until he falls in love with Lena.
The rest of Punch-Drunk Love is decidedly unique. There is not an unoriginal moment in the picture. The script is so brilliantly twisty and quiet, its power sneaks up on you. And after a number of climatic events occur, the film's finale is unabashedly romantic.
However, chances are Punch-Drunk Love will divide audiences into two groups: Those who love will it, and those who will hate it. Critics of the film will say, "Adam Sandler can play this role in his sleep." Damn straight. If the role of the good-natured yet sometimes angry, immature man wasn't the cornerstone of Sandler's career, this movie wouldn't have even been written (writer-director P.T. Anderson wrote it specifically for Sandler).
Still, with his performance, Sandler proves his critics wrong; he can act. He is forced to go through myriad emotions while remaining quiet and shy. He is given an incredible number of hoops to jump through, and he dives through each one with relative ease. Sandler is simply brilliant.
Watson is also quite good, underplaying her character to a whisper at times. She admits her interest in Barry, but believes he's completely insane. At first, one wonders why she likes Barry, but the reason is simple: She is very much like him.
It is obvious why Barry is in love with her. Near the end of the film, there is a shot of her, while in distress, which captures a perfect picture of fear. It's no mystery why these two love each other.
In very small roles, Philip Seymour Hoffman plays Dean the mattress man and Luis Guzman plays Lance, Barry's assistant manager. Hoffman is in only three scenes, but he is deliciously over-the-top and hilarious. Guzman doesn't even need dialogue for his character; his expressive face is more than enough to show his feelings and thoughts.
The cinematography by Robert Elswit shows the audience a kaleidoscope of colors and images that is especially exemplary. The music, by Jon Brion, is also uniquely pleasing; Brion employs the harmonium to convey emotion that the main characters cannot express in words.
Then there's Anderson, the writer and director, whose style is dizzying, quiet, bold and frighteningly original. His win at the Cannes Film Festival as Best Director this year was greatly deserved.
Those who understand Punch-Drunk Love will discover a new Adam Sandler, one who can act, feel, cry, hurt and be empathetic. They will find what is sure to be hailed as one of the finest films in recent years.
