By Jacob Cameron

“I wanted to ask you something because you’re a doctor… I don’t like myself sometimes. Can you help me?”

This quote, almost a cry for help, comes from Barry Egan, the main character of 2002’s Punch-Drunk Love. Punch-Drunk Love was a conscious departure for Paul Thomas Anderson after the sprawling epic known as Magnolia. Anderson wanted to challenge himself by making a romantic comedy, starring Adam Sandler, and with a runtime of 90 minutes. Changing genres and tones at such a dramatic degree could be the kiss of death for other directors. It seems like the perfect recipe for disaster; but somehow it works.

As mentioned, the movie tells the story of Barry Egan who has a lot of problems. He runs a small business, he has a hyper fixation on Healthy Choice Pudding and its promise of frequent flyer miles, and seven sisters who consistently condescend and demean him. This is all before he is targeted by scammers who run a 900 number for phone sex. But in the middle of all of this chaos, he meets the love of his life in the form of Lena Leonard played by Emily Watson. This new found love empowers Barry to face his problems head on with a deep well of rage.

Adam Sandler can be very funny; unfortunately his film choices do nothing to reflect his talents. For every Uncut Gems and Happy Gilmore, there’s a Ridiculous 6 and Jack & Jill. In Punch-Drunk Love, he is surprisingly great. To a point that it is aggravating to think that he has this amount of talent and chooses to make Happy Gilmore 2. Barry is one of the most sympathetic characters in a PTA film. PTA wrote this role for Sandler as he was a fan of his 90s comedies and constantly rewatched Sandler’s Best of SNL DVD. 

PTA also wrote the role of Lena specifically for Emily Watson. Watson and Sandler have good chemistry with each other throughout the film. You can tell that Barry does genuinely love Lena but has so much on his plate that his obligations get in the way. Barry does prove his love for Lena in gestures small and large. Even as large as traveling to Hawaii just to see her.

If watching these movies from PTA has shown anything, it’s that Anderson knows how to capture chaos. This is done through long tracking shots and other dramatic camera work. There is a scene in the middle of the film where Barry is trying to deal with a shipment at his business, the pudding, the scammers trying to get at his credit card, and his sister annoying him all at once. It is a scene that should be seen to be believed.

Despite the radical departure from his usual style, PTA still has some of his regular actors present. Including Luis Guzman and Phillip Seymour Hoffman. The latter of whom has a great pair of scenes with Sandler: one over the phone and one face-to-face. Despite the fact that this movie is only 90 minutes, there is so much to unpack with film. This is a surprisingly layered film.

At the end of the day, this is one of the more bizarre films of PTA’s career. In the context of what had done in his career up to this point. But it is a more than worthwhile entry in his filmography. This is some of the finest work of Adam Sandler’s career.

4 1/2 stars