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 It
took a while, but Paul Thomas Anderson has finally found his voice.
Though 1995's Hard Eight was an intensely paced, well
acted character study, it came and went with little fanfare until
moviegoers re-discovered it in the aftermath of his critically-acclaimed
1997 breakthrough, the Martin Scorsese-inspired Boogie Nights.
As wildly ambitious as his follow-up, 1999's Magnolia,
was, there was little doubt that he was merely channeling his
appreciation for Robert Altman's inter-weaving character studies.
It's been three years since Anderson's three-hour love-it-or-hate-it
epic polarized audiences, but if the 90-minute Punch-Drunk
Love is any indication, then the confident writer/director
is working at the top of his game. Incredibly rewarding, wildly
original, beautifully surreal and hauntingly bizarre, it's safe
to say that Punch-Drunk Love is a cinematic uppercut that
will knock you out.
Dedicated toilet plunger salesman Barry Egan (Adam Sandler) may
show up for work every morning at the crack of dawn, but he's
an insecure, socially inept loner who's emotionally scarred after
years of verbal abuse from his seven abrasive sisters. Barry keeps
himself occupied with a self-imposed mission to cash in on frequent
flier miles after discovering a loophole in a pudding cup promotion,
but he is sidetracked when he falls in love with the sweet-natured
Lena (Emily Watson). Before Barry can follow her to Hawaii in
an effort to achieve true happiness, he unwittingly gets caught
up in a phone sex scandal that threatens to do him in...that is,
if his own pent-up rage doesn't do him in first.
The "anything goes" style of Punch-Drunk Love
is set from the beginning when, in the otherworldly glow of the
morning light, a car careens out of control on the peaceful side
street where Barry works, followed by another car that inexplicably
drops a mini piano on his doorstep before speeding off into the
distance. What's it all mean? It doesn't really matter, because
whether moments like this add to the story or merely underscore
Anderson's penchant for self-indulgence, they will surely keep
you on the edge of your seat wondering what's going to happen
next.
As strange as it may seem, the real revelation here is none other
than Adam
Sandler, who does away with his goofball image in favor of a surprisingly
heartfelt and ultimately sad performance that in some ways recalls
Robert
De Niro's Travis Bickle from Taxi Driver. Sandler's tender,
introverted
desperation has him crying out for help to anyone who will listen
(and no one
does) before flying into a violent rage born of sheer frustration.
Perhaps Sandler is emoting his own need to branch out and (horrors!)
be taken
seriously. If that's the case, then he clearly found his muse
in Anderson, who, as he did with Tom Cruise in Magnolia,
gave him the confidence to churn out a potentially Oscar-worthy
(yes, Oscar-worthy!) performance. Sandler is supported by reliable
Anderson mainstays like Philip Seymour Hoffman and Luis Guzman,
as well as the prolific Emily Watson, who gives an endearing turn
as the one woman who recognizes Sander's romantic potential.
As with Anderson's previous effort, moviegoers will likely find
themselves walking away from Punch-Drunk Love scratching
their heads in confusion, not even knowing whether or not they
actually liked it. But if they think about it, then that's about
all you can ask for. The fact is, there's nothing else out there
quite like it, and that alone makes it one of the best movies
of the year.
Like I said, Paul Thomas Anderson has finally found his voice,
and in this
case, he's speaking loud and clear.
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