Question:When is an Adam Sandler movie not an Adam Sandler movie.

Answer:When it’s a Paul Thomas Anderson movie.

And what is a Paul Thomas Anderson movie?

A Paul Thomas Anderson movie is something that defies expectations. It is a mixture of humor and pathos. His last film, "Magnolia" (1999) takes a series of seemingly random events and weaves them into a dizzying episodic tale about love, redemption and forgiveness. "Boogie Nights" (1997) before that was a surprisingly humanistic look at the people who make porn.

"Punch-Drunk Love" is a complete departure from the styles of those two films but somewhat closer in mood and temperament to his first feature, "Hard Eight" (1997), a downbeat tale about an inarticulate guy in love with a hooker who is taken under the protective wing of a professional gambler for reasons known only to the gambler. The somber mood is interrupted by fits of violence. "Punch-Drunk Love" follows a similar construct but with an uninhibited sense of romanticism.

Sandler is Barry Egan, a nerdish bathroom novelty supplier who discovers a marketing flaw in a frequent flyer campaign that allows him to triple his mileage for each mile earned. However, he is not as savvy in his human relationships which are virtually non-existent. A lifetime of being browbeaten by his seven sisters has made him inordinately shy to the point of seeming comatose in the presence of the opposite sex. Longing for some human contact he calls a sex-phone line just to talk. This simple act of reaching out snowballs into a blackmail scheme that later threatens to destroy his one chance at happiness. He is pursued and won over by the mysterious Lena (Emily Watson) who is attracted to his wounded soul. It seems an unlikely pairing but she is someone who appears to have been scarred herself and in need of someone without a hidden agenda. Lena taps into Barry’s psyche and unleashes his libido. How Paul Thomas Anderson frames the Adam Sandler persona, so familiar to his fans, to chart the flowering of Barry Egan is what sets "Punch-Drunk Love" apart from other traditional love stories. Through an unusual combination of visual and sound designs, he accentuates Barry’s loneliness and his frustration at not being able to express his feelings. Later, when Barry lets loose, he finds a use for his frequent flyer miles and follows Lena to more exotic surroundings. The movie is suddenly awash in soothing pastels that reflect the coloring of their emotions. There are some typical Sandler outbursts, like tearing a toilet apart at an upscale restaurant, but the net effect is not what you’d expect. Anderson has created a character that gives Adam Sandler an opportunity to turn his trademark tirades into an integral part of Barry Egan’s personality.

In a sense, Barry Egan’s obsessions take on the same importance as Anderson’s own preoccupations with the randomness of life and the seamier elements of society. These preoccupations had a life of their own in "Magnolia" and "Boogie Nights." Those movies explored aspects of life that co-exist with our own even though they may not necessarily be part of our every day experience. In "Punch-Drunk Love," this randomness is expressed through a car crash outside Barry’s place of business, and the dumping of an antique keyboard instrument at a curbside. Likewise, the sex industry is always there whether we choose to acknowledge its existence or not. The advent of cable TV and the proliferation of free press publications have given rise to a profusion of ads for phone sex and escort services that is constantly in your face. All it takes is an ounce of curiosity and one phone call to become a victim of their empty promises. As Barry finds out, they are not selling intimacy. But his attempt to have a simple conversation inexplicably lays the groundwork for his emancipation from loneliness and provides a venue to prove his love to Lena.

Like a master bartender, Paul Thomas Anderson mixes all these seemingly incongruous elements together to make "Punch-Drunk Love" an intoxicating viewing experience.

Copyright 2002

"Hard Eight" (1997) - Moody Las Vegas at night flick with an inarticulate John C. Riley in love with the not too bright hooker, Gwyneth Paltrow. Both are taken under the wing of gambling pro, Philip Baker Hall and in trouble with Samuel L. Jackson. Also with Philip Seymour Hoffman who is the bad guy who pulls all the punches in "Punch-Drunk Love." Slow moving but Anderson has a way of making you care for his off beat characters.

"The Wedding Singer" (1998) - Sandler is the title character whose fiance takes a hike and Drew Barrymore is the woman he finally falls in love with if he can only stop her wedding to the wrong guy. This is Barrymoore’s baby from beginning to end but Sandler wins our affection.