This movie is dog shit do not watch. It is disrespectful to the audience to drag them for 90 mins with no payoff, dont even try to tell me you liked “the vibes”. Mulholand Dr did it better.

This movie is dog shit do not watch. It is disrespectful to the audience to drag them for 90 mins with no payoff, dont even try to tell me you liked “the vibes”. Mulholand Dr did it better.

I tried to love this movie but there was just too much of nothing for me to really care about. There was a few scenes where I thought this was going into a more meaningful direction. I enjoyed the whole sex hotline plot and the back and forth with Phillip Seymour Hoffman. That dude is a Golden Retriever, I miss his acting. Other than that Sandler plays his usual sad sack awkward guy where he’s his own worst enemy. One of those movies where you go “that was it”

I tried to love this movie but there was just too much of nothing for me to really care about. There was a few scenes where I thought this was going into a more meaningful direction. I enjoyed the whole sex hotline plot and the back and forth with Phillip Seymour Hoffman. That dude is a Golden Retriever, I miss his acting. Other than that Sandler plays his usual sad sack awkward guy where he’s his own worst enemy. One of those movies where you go “that was it”

the films that have the most impact on me often transcend any logic. does punch drunk love have the tightest plot, perfect pacing, well written characters, technical greatness, i honestly don’t know. probably not.

but for me this movie makes me feel something so unique: what it feels to be in love. very different than other rom-coms and romance films where i’m yearning to be in love (i’m looking at you Linklater), PDL reminds me how chaotic love can be, how weird it makes you act, how weird it makes you feel.

spoilers:

I love how PTA writes Barry Egan. He brings so much life to the caricatures of all the previous roles Adam Sandler has played as the overgrown child with anger issues. it’s such a refreshing take on that genre of character (Happy Gilmore, Click, Anger Management, etc) and the contrast between Barry Egan and what you’re expecting from Adam Sandler really brings out the humanness of Barry— his yearning and his sadness.

The first act is total chaos, I mean not much happens, but I’m so hooked the whole time because of the cool tracking shots, the weird sound track. I don’t just feel like I’m watching a film as a viewer, I feel as if I’m in the room walking behind Barry experiencing the chaos of his mind and his life—experiencing his shyness when peeking the corner to see Lena, his fear of his sister bringing her friend to the party. At this point, it’s all ever feeling, we don’t really know much about the character, until he smashes the windows breaking away from his walls of chaos and overwhelm. The next scene where he opens up for the first time to the brother in law and we actually get told a bit about him is one of my favorite scenes ever. You have the comedic reveal of the brother in law saying he’s a dentist to Barry opening up about not knowing if there’s anything wrong because he doesn’t know how other people are. Probably one of my favorite scenes ever, I want to laugh and cry

Then there’s Lena, who carries her own sadness and loneliness, and she finally gets Barry to open up. So many iconic scenes with them, Barry leaving her apartment feeling like an idiot about saying bye-bye, her calling him as he’s leaving to tell him she wanted to kiss him, him running all over the place to find her. It’s the perfect balance of a rom-com. Don’t get me started on the Hawaii scenes, the shot of Barry calling Lena and his booth lights up, them seeing each other in the hotel and kissing as stranger walk by (I used to have a poster of this in my room). I just love all the colors in the film, the blues, the reds, every shot is just so beautiful.

I also really like the whole sex telephone line plot. It’s chaotic, you don’t really know what’s going to happen, and it interweaves really well with Barry trying to find love with Lena. I loved the constant interruption of their convo while the phone rings and threatens Barry. Also Phillip Seymour Hoffman is iconic as the mattress man. so many lines that live forever in my head

“where are you going we know where you live asshole”

“i have a love in my life. it makes me stronger than anything you can imagine”

“that’s that”

also there’s so many little details that just make this hilarious and so weird like how Barry goes to Utah carrying the desk phone from his office, his little dance when he’s buying pudding, i really don’t know but this just scratches the perfect itch in my brain.

I will say on the rewatch it didn’t hold up as well as the first watch for me because I kinda already knew what was going to happen, but this movie will always be very special to me. the best romcom i’ve ever seen

the films that have the most impact on me often transcend any logic. does punch drunk love have the tightest plot, perfect pacing, well written characters, technical greatness, i honestly don’t know. probably not.

but for me this movie makes me feel something so unique: what it feels to be in love. very different than other rom-coms and romance films where i’m yearning to be in love (i’m looking at you Linklater), PDL reminds me how chaotic love can be, how weird it makes you act, how weird it makes you feel.

spoilers:

I love how PTA writes Barry Egan. He brings so much life to the caricatures of all the previous roles Adam Sandler has played as the overgrown child with anger issues. it’s such a refreshing take on that genre of character (Happy Gilmore, Click, Anger Management, etc) and the contrast between Barry Egan and what you’re expecting from Adam Sandler really brings out the humanness of Barry— his yearning and his sadness.

The first act is total chaos, I mean not much happens, but I’m so hooked the whole time because of the cool tracking shots, the weird sound track. I don’t just feel like I’m watching a film as a viewer, I feel as if I’m in the room walking behind Barry experiencing the chaos of his mind and his life—experiencing his shyness when peeking the corner to see Lena, his fear of his sister bringing her friend to the party. At this point, it’s all ever feeling, we don’t really know much about the character, until he smashes the windows breaking away from his walls of chaos and overwhelm. The next scene where he opens up for the first time to the brother in law and we actually get told a bit about him is one of my favorite scenes ever. You have the comedic reveal of the brother in law saying he’s a dentist to Barry opening up about not knowing if there’s anything wrong because he doesn’t know how other people are. Probably one of my favorite scenes ever, I want to laugh and cry

Then there’s Lena, who carries her own sadness and loneliness, and she finally gets Barry to open up. So many iconic scenes with them, Barry leaving her apartment feeling like an idiot about saying bye-bye, her calling him as he’s leaving to tell him she wanted to kiss him, him running all over the place to find her. It’s the perfect balance of a rom-com. Don’t get me started on the Hawaii scenes, the shot of Barry calling Lena and his booth lights up, them seeing each other in the hotel and kissing as stranger walk by (I used to have a poster of this in my room). I just love all the colors in the film, the blues, the reds, every shot is just so beautiful.

I also really like the whole sex telephone line plot. It’s chaotic, you don’t really know what’s going to happen, and it interweaves really well with Barry trying to find love with Lena. I loved the constant interruption of their convo while the phone rings and threatens Barry. Also Phillip Seymour Hoffman is iconic as the mattress man. so many lines that live forever in my head

“where are you going we know where you live asshole”

“i have a love in my life. it makes me stronger than anything you can imagine”

“that’s that”

also there’s so many little details that just make this hilarious and so weird like how Barry goes to Utah carrying the desk phone from his office, his little dance when he’s buying pudding, i really don’t know but this just scratches the perfect itch in my brain.

I will say on the rewatch it didn’t hold up as well as the first watch for me because I kinda already knew what was going to happen, but this movie will always be very special to me. the best romcom i’ve ever seen

Unexpected harmony in pastel amidst a sea of noise. What a lovely film

Unexpected harmony in pastel amidst a sea of noise. What a lovely film

Adam Sandler is the perfect guy to express the feeling of being smothered, attempting to find coping mechanisms without being judged, freaking the fuck out, and saying peace out to life because love is all that matters.

This was equally as confusing, as it was stressful, as it was whimsical, and as it was beautiful. From my experience going through his filmography so far, it is NOT for the weak.

Adam Sandler is the perfect guy to express the feeling of being smothered, attempting to find coping mechanisms without being judged, freaking the fuck out, and saying peace out to life because love is all that matters.

This was equally as confusing, as it was stressful, as it was whimsical, and as it was beautiful. From my experience going through his filmography so far, it is NOT for the weak.