Punch-Drunk Love

*“I have a love in my life. It makes me stronger than anything you can imagine.” Punch-Drunk Love *is a story about male loneliness and trying to regain control of your life after finding love. We immediately see Barry wearing a suit, which puzzles the people around him, showing that this is not normal attire for him. We get a glimpse of his volatile personality, it evolving from his anxiety, as well as the way people like his family treat him. I think that Barry Egan is a very relatable character, not because of his volatile personality, but how he’s trying to get his life together and is trying to find love, but a mix of his anxiety and the people around him, keep stopping him from doing so. My hot take is that Adam Sandler is better in serious roles, than his comedic roles. Adam Sandler is a perfect casting for a character like Barry Egan and his immediate switch from anxious to angry is incredible. Also as little screen time as he has, Philip Seymour Hoffman is amazing and like Sandler, how flawless he can flip a switch on his emotions is mind blowing. Lastly, I absolutely love the cinematography and colors of this film. The blue lens glares to the pink skies are just a glimpse of how beautiful this film is. My favorite shots of the film were of course the famous kissing shot and the screen filled up with cool blue and pink colors that are shown at the beginning and in the credits. This was my first Paul Thomas Anderson film and I hope that his other films are as aesthetically pleasing as Punch-Drunk Love. Soundtrack: 9.8/10 “That’s that.”