*** Official "PUNCH-DRUNK LOVE" Discussion Thread (1 Viewer)

[Steve Enemark]

Sure did, and he went to the same school as me, UC Davis. Check it out Link Removed

 

[Seth Paxton]

Yep the pudding thing was real, Steve beat me to it, but PTA had to buy the rights to the guy's story even just to use it with his own character.

it didn't feel like paul thomas anderson for some parts of the movie

I couldn't disagree more. I thought PTA's selection of shots, and more noticeably his style of camera movement was very present throughout the film (and a big strength). As I've said elsewhere the big difference to me was that he let each scene go with just one flashy shot or stylish shot, rather than capturing the moment and then stopping to recapture it 2 or 3 other stylish ways.
It's the reason I regarded his last 2 films as portfolio films in which he shows off all the various directing skills he has without regards to how it slows down the film.
Make no mistake, his range is great and he appears to be an encyclopedia of shots - like your classic romantic silhouette at the airport, the dial-in iris shot (that we also saw in Boogie Nights - as standard from the silent era), and every variation of the tracking shot.
And of course some people have already noted his ability to set up scenes via his direction for the big payoff. He makes his 2 car crashes take on life-like impact on the audience simply with the setup. In PDL he has really made his greatest strides in this regard. Previously he tended to linger too long past the climatic point in the scene (which he himself created). The drug deal gone bad scene from Boogie Nights comes to mind in which he establishes the tension, sets up the character dynamics within the sequence, and even cues the audience up by matching up the music to the moment. But he skips not just one payoff in the scene, but a couple, and the stuff he went to instead seemed much more like additional, unneeded tension development or character inspection.
In PDA all of that excess is trimmed away.
Regarding the metaphorical aspects of the story (another PTA trademark by this point), I think most of what I've read on this page is dead on and said better than I could say it (or at the very least shorter ).

 

[BrianB]

I see this posted anywhere (maybe I missed it), but did anyone see the moving truck as being symbolic?

When Barry stands in front of the harmonium, a moving truck passes and then Barry immediately takes the harmonium.

When Barry and Lena are forced to leave the restaraunt, they walk outside and before crossing the street to the car - the same moving truck passes them by.

Lena also has a bunch of packing boxes from the moving truck company in her apartment.

 

[AndrewD]

I'm not too good with symbolism, but one thing I think I picked up on was the lack of other people in the movie. I'm guessing it represented how alone Barry felt. This was most noticeable when Barry went 'frequent flyer' shopping. There wasn't anyone else in the grocery store (except for this creepy old man in the background who could have been Barry's current-self years down the road). Another example that comes to mind is when the blonde brothers are chasing Barry through the streets - there's no one else around. No people. No traffic. No nothing.

Then, Barry makes the move to go to Hawaii. You see the ticket-takers in the foreground with Barry in the distance walking towards them. Behind Barry is a mass of people - like they were marching behind him in support of this decision. To me, this was one of the highlights of the film. My heart almost burst.

I felt this to be a wonderful and magical movie. One that I think will stay with me for a long time to come.

 

[Rain]

...this is the fourth movie (out of four) with a happy ending.

I would hardly consider the ending of Magnolia happy.

 

[Mark Bendiksen]

I would hardly consider the ending of Magnolia happy.

"Happy" might not be accurate. I would personally call the ending to Magnolia "hopeful".
Link Removed

 

[Elizabeth S]

I hate to rain on the "P-D L" lovefest, but this is by far my LEAST favorite of PTA's films.
I've read lots of viewer comments all over, and what I cannot find in me is the ability to see this as the "feel good" film it seems to want to be. There's nothing at all amusing TO ME about much of what happens in this film. Barry is SUCH a psychologically troubled man with so much rage and frustration, that there's no way in the world a love relationship is going to cure things overnight. I just cannot buy into that mindset. And I would question Lena, also, for her early acceptance of all these little tendencies she sees in Barry. Yes, there ARE people like that, but it seems a dangerous match. I was appalled that people in the theatre laughed at scenes that I thought were HEARTBREAKING, especially the scene where Barry breaks down while confiding to his brother-in-law about the tendency to cry. I just could not look at the subject matter and appreciate the whimsical tone in which it was presented.

 

[Guy_K]

This is quite an enjoyable film.. I think it's a bit too artsy for a lot of people though. One review I read described it as 'a european film made in america'. I thought that was pretty interesting.

 

[Andy Sheets]

I've read lots of viewer comments all over, and what I cannot find in me is the ability to see this as the "feel good" film it seems to want to be. There's nothing at all amusing TO ME about much of what happens in this film. Barry is SUCH a psychologically troubled man with so much rage and frustration, that there's no way in the world a love relationship is going to cure things overnight. I just cannot buy into that mindset. And I would question Lena, also, for her early acceptance of all these little tendencies she sees in Barry. Yes, there ARE people like that, but it seems a dangerous match. I was appalled that people in the theatre laughed at scenes that I thought were HEARTBREAKING, especially the scene where Barry breaks down while confiding to his brother-in-law about the tendency to cry. I just could not look at the subject matter and appreciate the whimsical tone in which it was presented.

I can see how people could feel that way but I guess I liked it because I wasn't necessarily taking the movie literally. If I did then I'd agree that most of the characters in the movie seem at least a little messed up but as you say the movie had a whimsical tone. Barry's rages seemed exagerrated to make a point about what kind of person he was and what he wanted and needed in his life. I don't smash things up when I'm mad, but I can easily relate to what Barry's feeling when he does. I think that was what PTA was trying to get at and it worked fine for me.

 

[Andy Sheets]

I'm not too good with symbolism, but one thing I think I picked up on was the lack of other people in the movie.

Not just the lack of people but check out how desolate the city is in general. I don't remember ever seeing much if any vegetation, for instance. Just ugly, box-like buildings, roads and sidewalks, and power lines. Very bleak. Hawaii looked like a magic kingdom compared that hellhole

 

[JonZ]

I didnt see the scene Elizabeth mentions as humorous, I dont think it was meant to be(IMHO) - I do remember one person laughing at it though.

I never saw the end of Magnolia as happy but more "optimistic"

 

[Marc Colella]

I was appalled that people in the theatre laughed at scenes that I thought were HEARTBREAKING, especially the scene where Barry breaks down while confiding to his brother-in-law about the tendency to cry.

I too at first chuckled when Barry started to cry, but that immediately turned to sadness. That's the whole point of the film, it rides the line between laughter and sadness - while giving us some scary moments as well as heart-warming ones. PTA gives us many scenes like that.

This film had me the whole way. It may sound cliche, but it really had my emotions riding a rollercoaster. When the film ended, I had a heartwarming feeling and a grin from ear to ear.

Simply Beautiful.

 

[Rain]

The more I read this thread, the more I want to see this film again.

I'm afraid that I'm one of those people who often doesn't see the forest for the trees during the first viewing of a film.

 

[Paul D Young]

The more I read this thread, the more I want to see this film again.

It is not my least favorite of PT Anderson's films but it is the shortest, so I enjoyed it for less time.

 

[Derek Miner]

I've been waiting for this one a long time. Went out of my way and even plunked down eight bucks to see this one tonight.
I was totally in awe of PTA's creation, if not completely lost in it. I have to agree somewhat with Elizabeth's comments that many aspects of Barry's personality are disturbing enough to distract from the overall theme/tone. I just looked at the Entertainment Weekly review again, and it's dead-on, so go there to see where I'm coming from.
I was a little unsure about the positive nature of some scenes (such as the pudding excursion with Luis Guzman) where moments that seemed to be happy still were scored with moody music. And the Barry/Lena pillow talk was quite disturbing to say the least. I do think someone else here was on the right track when they suggested Lena is a bit off balance herself, perhaps just better at controlling a hidden violent side than Barry.
Despite my slight criticisms, some of the scenes previously mentioned are outstanding. The kiss, the car crash with Barry losing it on 'the brothers'... I'll add the phone sex call (was that one continuous shot?!?). Some might say that the movement of the camera to enhance the creepiness was a tad much, but I thought it was fascinating. I also noted PTA not only using real phone numbers (a la MAGNOLIA) but also threw a credit card number and SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER into the mix. What do you do to top this, throw in a bank routing number to Fiona Apple's checking account?
The soundscape was also fascinating, with the noises being so harsh and startling, especially as Barry trashed the bathroom.
I think there's something in the subtext regarding the groups that are against Barry. In the closing credits, there are listings for "The Sisters" and "The Brothers." Also, the phone-sex woman is credited as "Phone Sex Sister."
Speaking of the credits, I noticed that one character (one of Barry's sisters, I believe) had different actresses for the phone voice and in-person. Odd.
And lastly, I have to say I'm always pleased to see Mary Lynn Rajskub in a movie. Other than on MR. SHOW, she always seemed saddled with little goofy parts (she was the blind girl in ROAD TRIP, and was stuck in a bubble wrap suit for most of DUDE, WHERE'S MY CAR), so it was nice to see her in somewhat of a major role! I guess PTA wanted to make up for cutting her out of MAGNOLIA.
Final reaction: felt a bit like a Coen Brothers movie...
Edit: On the topic of the harmonium:
I was making jokey pretentious film critic comments to my roommate about how the harmonium represented the dichotomy between art and commerce, but the more I think about it in a serious way, that's sort of on the right track. The harmonium seemed to represent the beauty that Barry was afraid to let into his life, or an artistic side to complement his analytical side (his business skills were decent).

 

[Bill_L]

Overall a very interesting movie that I'd like to see a second time to better absorb. I was disappointed with the open ending.

 

[Patrick Sun]

The one scene I really liked was when Barry was running, and the shot is set up so that you first see Barry's exaggerated shadow on the side of a white building/warehouse, and then you see Barry running into the frame of the shot. That was one of those images that gets imprinted in your memory.

 

[Vickie_M]

From this week's The Onion:
Adam Sandler Fans Disappointed By Intelligent, Nuanced Performance
LOS ANGELES—Adam Sandler fans across the nation expressed deep disappointment in the new film Punch-Drunk Love, which features an intelligent, nuanced lead performance by the comedian. "He didn't even do his funny high-pitched 'retardo guy' voice," said college student Bradley Sanderson, 19, after seeing the critically lauded film Tuesday. "And what was with all that textured, multi-dimensional character-development shit?" Similarly let down was fan Bob Trotta: "I didn't pay $9 to see Adam Sandler wrestle with some psychological crisis. He could have at least put a trash-can lid on his head and gone, 'I'm Crazy Trash Head! Gimme some candy!' How hard would that have been?"

Here is The Onion's actual review:
Punch-Drunk Love
Describing Adam Sandler's role in Punch-Drunk Love as the most complex of his film career doesn't do it justice, considering that his career otherwise begins with Going Overboard and ends with Mr. Deeds. Nonetheless, part of what makes Punch-Drunk Love so fascinating is how little Sandler's character deviates from his prototypical violence-prone manchild unable to handle the pressures of the real world. But this time, his inability to cope borders on the psychotic, and his outbursts seem more scary than funny. In fact, the whole film plays just on the other side of romantic-comedy conventions, as Sandler sets about winning Emily Watson (a new acquaintance quickly recognized as the woman of his dreams), getting involved in a wacky scheme, coping with the attentions of a gaggle of sisters, and running afoul of thuggish villains led by unscrupulous phone-sex operator Philip Seymour Hoffman. It doesn't seem familiar, though. Written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, Punch-Drunk Love opens with Sandler already close to the bottoming-out point that Anderson's characters reached in Boogie Nights and Magnolia. Sandler plays a low-level entrepreneur specializing in bathroom novelties—most notably "fungers," bathroom plungers with toppers that sport brides and grooms, rolling dice, and other themes. Dividing his time between a warehouse overseen by Luis Guzmán and a pasteboard apartment visited by no one, Sandler barely conceals his loneliness, and Anderson brings that fact to the foreground. As carefully orchestrated slapstick unfolds around his protagonist, Anderson pumps up Jon Brion's radical, unsettling score and keeps the camera fixed on Sandler's facial expression, which conveys just how close he's come to snapping. By the half-hour mark, it looks as if Punch-Drunk could easily become either a horror film or a comedy, but comedy is about redemption, and the film ultimately follows Sandler's redemptive quest. It's funny, too, though marked by an uneasy humor that's usually difficult to achieve. Anderson handles it with expert ease: At this point in his career, he moves the camera like a skilled dance partner, investing the smallest gesture with significance. The technical ability would amount to little, however, if Anderson hadn't made a film with heart, and for that, his cast deserves much of the credit. Watson's charming performance may not come as a surprise, but Sandler's wholly commendable work does. Throwing out the well-worn tics, he seems to have found the dark heart of his past characters, and from scene to scene, it's unclear whether he needs a hug or commitment papers. He knows what he needs, though, and so does Anderson. In the end, all the tantrums, misguided gestures, and misdirected energy on display in this unabashedly peculiar comedy add up to a convincing depiction of the mad rush of new love, with an emphasis on the madness. —Keith Phipps

 

[Andre F]

but if they have to resort to getting Sandler fans into the theater, than so be it.

I enjoy and own almost all of Sandlers previous funs. For me it's nice to have a mindless laugh on occasion. With that being said, I consider myself to be an intelligent movie fan. I like all kinds of movies especially odd ones like this. I can't wait to see it!

 

[Joseph Young]

moments that seemed to be happy still were scored with moody music. And the Barry/Lena pillow talk was quite disturbing to say the least.

Disturbing? Really? I thought it was sweet... It's not like he literally wanted to smash her face. Sometimes you love somebody so much that you want to take their features and play with them and see them look every which way. That was Barry's way of expressing his feelings.
I got the overall sense after watching Punch-Drunk love that the audience was confounded, thrown off balance, confused and slightly irritated/bothered. Am I wrong? Why then did it make so much sense to me? Am I a freak-boy?
Gimme some candy!!
Joseph