Sandler takes substantial leap in 'Punch-Drunk Love'
By Jack Garner
Gannett News Service
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| PUNCH-DRUNK LOVE (Rated R for profanity and violence) Three Stars (Good)
A slight but appealing oddball romance, with Adam Sandler showing surprising depth as a quirky sad sack who finds salvation in the sweet Emily Watson. Philip Seymour Hoffman co-stars for writer-director Paul Thomas Anderson. Columbia, 97 mins. |
But he's accomplished something equally impressive: He's given Adam Sandler an opportunity to be a substantial screen performer.
Sandler plays a depressed and strangely appealing sad sack, with an impressive reservoir of rage, who stumbles into love.
It's a fascinating and darkly human performance, way beyond his normally superficial and moronic screen characters.
Clearly, Sandler has finally joined forces with a writer-director who sees the unexpected depth and painful vulnerability just below the surface of the silly comic. (It's a little like the actor-director chemistry when Jerry Lewis joined forces with Martin Scorsese for "The King of Comedy.")
In "Punch-Drunk Love," Sandler is Barry Egan, who works for a company that sells toilet plungers out of a Los Angeles warehouse. Raised by seven oppressive older sisters, he's been left socially stilted and incredibly repressed. He's prone to crying at the drop of a hat — or smashing his fist into the walls of men's rooms when he's alone. With other people, he's as timid as a fawn.
Then one of his sister's does him a remarkable favor. She introduces him to a co-worker, the shy, soft-spoken Lena (Emily Watson). Barry is instantly smitten and begins the emotionally challenging task of courting her.
Ah, but a woman of another ilk also enters his life. In a moment of weakness, Barry had called a phone sex line. In confusion and shame, he'd hung up. But now, the woman has his credit card number and she begins to try to extort money from him.
The newly emboldened Barry decides to fight back.
Sandler offers an intriguing blend of quirky humor, odd-ball eccentricity, sensitivity and warmth. He's funny, touching, and a little scary. In other words, a lot more than he's ever been in a film before.
Watson, though, is saddled with a character so undefined, she almost disappears; leaving the highly regarded actress with little to do but act sweet and understanding.
Among supporting players, Anderson regular Philip Seymour Hoffman has the most fun in a small but memorable role. He's the slimy operator of the phone sex line that's been trying to extort money. Sandler and Hoffman going toe-to-toe in their major confrontation is worth the price of admission.
In a relatively short time, Anderson has emerged as an important, innovative filmmaker. But, compared to the full-course meals that are "Boogie Nights" and "Magnolia," "Punch-Drunk Love" is a minor hors d'oeuvre.
For Sandler, though, it's a Thanksgiving dinner.
Rated R, with profanity, violence.
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