5 1/2 STARS OUT OF 7

Punch-Drunk Love

reviewed by Krueger, 9/4/05

viewed 8/28/05

***Spoilers likely***

-2nd movie club movie/ 1st “off week” movie/ chosen by Nooch

I relate to Barry Egan. In briefly talking to my Movie Club compatriots, so do they. I guess on some level, everybody hates themselves. Everybody lacks confidence, has a certain level of social anxiety. Barry Egan is an extreme case, to be sure. But nevertheless, I feel for him.

Barry, as played brilliantly by Adam Sandler (who, after the initial “hey, that’s Adam Sandler” novelty-reaction becomes virtually unrecognizable... which is a compliment), has “that nervous talking thing.” He has a twisted relationship with his seemingly thousands of sisters, all of which mock him and put him down. The sisters don’t know they do this; in their minds they are looking out for their brother. It’s a horrible and painful thing to watch, and I totally get why he’d feel the need (NEED!) to kick in a couple of plate glass windows.

But then Barry falls in love. It’s every geek’s dream come true; he tries desperately to be cool, to find things to say and things NOT to say. But she loves him for him (which is the only way to REALLY love someone, isn’t it?) and is willing to take something of a motherly approach to their relationship. She takes care of him in a way his family never could, with compassion and a quiet acceptance of his quirks, shyness, awkwardness. It’s what makes this love story beautiful and sweet.

It’s also what makes him strong. After calling a phone sex number, Barry is harassed by the woman and her family; they think because he owns his own business that he is rich, and they can blackmail him. Paul Thomas Anderson (Boogie Nights: 6 stars; Magnolia 51/2 stars), mostly through camera panning and a great soundtrack, builds the tension in a unique way. Many of the scenes seem to go on forever, leaving you with no time to catch your breathe. Instead you’re left squirming in your chair, wondering how Barry will ever get out of “this mess,” or hoping he’ll just turn around and belt his sister.

As his relationship becomes more solid and real, Barry begins to stand up for himself. His uncontrolled anger earlier becomes easier to channel, and when he takes a crowbar to “the brothers” who just hurt his love, you want to stand up and cheer. It is also cheer-worthy how he finally takes care of the phone-sex problem; by confronting it head on.

The man in charge of this operation is played by Phillip Seymour Hoffman, who is fantastic in just about everything he ever does (all right, let’s give him a pass on Along Came Polly). In Punch-Drunk Love he plays a small-time dirtbag who runs his own little corner of the universe. He’s a bully, a man who has built himself up to push people around, but really has no desire to deal with someone who stands up to him. The way Barry ultimately handles him rings very true, and is very funny.

In short, I’ll give this movie 5 1/2 stars out of 7. It’s funny, touching, tense. The soundtrack is cool, the acting very nice, and the directing style unique. Krueger

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