Viewing Thread:
"Punch-Drunk Love"

The 4th from Paul Thomas Anderson, after Hard Eight, Boogie Nights and Magnolia.
Now if you didn't like any of those, don't bother to read further or rent/buy the film.
If, like me, you think Adam Sandler is annoying, stupid-voice manchild then read on.

Punch-Drunk Love.
Plot?
Barry Egan (Sandler) is a repressed, put-upon everyman given to fits of psychotic rage when needled. He buys puddings for the frequent flyer miles and decides to phone a sex-line one night, for company.
His sister brings one of her colleagues to visit Barry at work, and presents her saying "Why don't you go out with her?"

I wont say anymore for fear of ruining this film, and you need to see it with as little pre-knowledge as possible. Not because of spoilers, but because it would spoil each and every magical moment that follows.
Not a typical love story by any means, but from the perspective of a man that wrote Magnolia.
It's emotional, believable, uplifting, surreal, magical, beautiful and a whole lot more.
Has Anderson's style all over it, from long tracking shots to the use of colour and music to tell his story (Shelley Duvall's rendition of "He wants me" from Popeye is used to absolute perfection.
And his usual supporting cast of people like Louis Guizman and Phillip Seymour Hoffman pop up to make Anderson devotees smile.

From the quiet, peaceful start of Barry walking out to the street, pre-dawn to the sudden...well...I won't spoil it but it's random, has no relevance and just *is*, and the dumping of a harmonium in the street afterwards, right up to the finale - it's a joy from start to finish.
I can't stand Adam Sandler, haven't enjoyed any of his movies but he's note-perfect here.
By turn vulnerable, sweet, nervous, psychotic, stammering, determined (his "I have a strength you cannot comprehend, I have a love in my life and that gives me more power than you can ever possibly imagine" speech is fantastic),

Punch-Drunk Love is an off-kilter romance with the most unconventional romantic pillow talk ever ("I want to smash your face off with a sledgehammer and hold it in my hands"), incredible visuals set to music, excellent acting and the most horrible sisters since Cinderella ("Remember when we used to call you Gayboy?" "...no" "Yeah we did! Are you gay yet?" "...I dont know")

If you liked Anderson's early efforts, check it out.
If you like slightly odd movies, check it out.
If you believe that there exists a person out there no matter how strange you are will accept and want you, check it out.

Just dont check it if you liked "Big Daddy" or other Adam Sandler films and expect the same.

Heh, too late. Bought it 8 hours ago. Best be good !

So this is a huge recommendation ?
Maybe gonna buy it now from a site..
Sounds excellent.

I thought the shifty little looks around the supermarket were great, and when he's explaining the pudding scam to Lena in the restaurant. Like someone's going to pop up and have him arrested or something. It's wonderful.

*phew*
Not just me that liked this then.

Finished watching it again, so much more I picked up on. When he's shopping for pudding in the 99cents store, something whispers his name and it leads him there. Odd.
And watch his tie. First it's blue to match the suit, then each new time it mirrors whatever Lena wore previously.
She turns up in orange/red, his tie is that colour and so on.

And the 2nd car crash is abstract, unexpected and just as shocking as the 1st one. With one of my favourite revenge scenes shortly after, no words or shouting.
Just a beating and handing the crowbar back.
And Barry's plea to Lena "Just give me 6-8 weeks to redeem the puddings, then I can follow you wherever you need to go for work. I left you at the hospital and I shouldn't have done that and I'm sorry. Just give me the 6-8 weeks to redeem the pudding coupons, please."

I couldn't help laughing when he's fleeing from the brothers and does that leap into the road and out of frame and making that "Eee Eee Eee" noise.

"What's with the suit Barry?"
"I don't know. I just bought it. I wanted to get dressed for work and I don't really know why"

Oh, and some of the physical comedy was brilliant, like the bits where Barry is talking to Lena in his office and the forklift trucks keep crashing outside. And when Luiz Guzman fell off his chair, for no reason whatsoever. It made me laugh like I would if I saw someone do it in real life, cos it was so unexpected.

I really liked this film.

Just watched it again, it's fantastic. Loads of great little things I didn't even catch first time, and some bits that really made me smile:

"Where the f*** are you going? We know where you live."

"I need to go to Hawaii, but first I need to get more pudding so I can go, as I said that out loud I realised it sounded a little strange but it isn't"

"Can you connect me to Lena Lennard's room please, there shouldn't be a man in there."

Really enjoyed it much more second time round. I liked the little bits that make not much sense, like the harmonium and the way he carries the phone receiver around with him for about 15 minutes near the end. Also, the way he runs and the noises he makes. Great.

I saw it at Cambridge too.. and Love Liza, as it happens. It's great little cinema, though a little pricey..

Love Liza is Hoffman getting high on petrol while he tries to come to terms with his wife's suicide. But it's very blackly comic. I've only seen it once but it seemed to be trying to do to the audience what Hoffman was feeling, and that was numbness. So you laugh at some moments and smile at others, but all in the way that someone whose wife had just killed herself might do, a half-laugh and a half-smile that isn't really there. It was directed by the geeky record shop guy from High Fidelity who isn't Jack Black or John Cusack.

My favourite bits in PDL:
Where Barry confides in his sister's husband..
"You're a Doctor aren't you?"
"Yes"
"I have this crying problem.."
"Barry, I'm a Dentist."

"You are so beautiful. I love you so much I want to smash your face in with a sledgehammer."
"I love you so much I want to scoop your eyeballs out of their sockets and chew and suck on them."

"I didn't ask for a shrink - that must've been somebody else. Also, that pudding isn't mine. Also, I'm wearing this suit today because I had a very important meeting this morning and I don't have a crying problem."

I'm going to rent this out again.

Hmmm. I never saw this being advertised/shown at a cinema near me. Actually i'd never even heard of it until this thread.

I'll go find/buy it tomorow - Sounds pretty good.

Thanks Goatboy.

Goatboy wrote:
> It's out to buy on DVD/VHS.
> Was at the cinema months ago but never came near me, because it's
> intelligent, left-of-centre, glorious and beautiful.
> Instead I had 12 screens of noisy explosions and hate to choose
> from.
>
> Go figure

I had to travel 30 miles to watch it in Cambridge (where they actually have a cinema that understands what a good film is) despite living a five minute walk from my local top-5-only-plex and I was exactly the same - won't touch an Adam Sandler film with a stick, but think PT Anderson is a bit of a genius.

This film has a tone unlike any other. It is a thing of beauty. There seem to be very few American directors who marry the visuals and the emotions in such a way as Paul Thomas Anderson does or who use music in such an effective way. Sure, many can tack on a cool soundtrack, but he makes it so much a part of the film.

I've not seen it since it came out at the cinema so will be looking forward to seeing it again taking all these things into account. And indeed it's not like Adam Sandler is a revelation or anything, he's just been used in the right way and I even find Emily Watson a bit annoying sometimes and she's just perfect - she acts like a person rather than like an actor.

I'd rather watch Happiness again than Daredevil again. Damn that was disappointing. Did he really beat Kingpin by kicking him in the legs?

Anyway, in that Love Liza movie, does he drink petrol, or am I confusing what I read...?