Really Surprised!

It's fun, it's light, [but] it has a hard time when its tries to get heavy.

This is a tender, generous movie that likes its characters and presents them as real people, full of flaws and strengths.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

Anyone expecting to see the usual Sandler fluff, steer clear of this film, it's not for you. Sandlers films are very hit and miss for me, I like as many as I dislike, and I guess I should admit to loving a bit of fluff.This was difficult to watch for me, mostly in a good way, I actually experienced the pain Sandlers character is living.He plays Nick, a loner, socially awkward and prone to bouts of aggression, mostly as a result of his frustrations related to his overbearing, bullying sisters, 7 of them, and being blackmailed by a sex line worker. The way this is filmed and it's use of empty space, streets, roads, and discordant music serve to illustrate how bleak his life is and how much pain he is in. It actually hurt to watch it, you just want something to take away Nicks pain, and thankful it does in the form of Emily Watson. I could only watch this film once, but as I said in my first line, it may be the finest piece of drama Adam Sandler has ever done.

Like many other members of IMDb I notice constantly that some films attract a crop of completely binary reviews, often being loved and hated in equal measure. 'Punch Drunk Love' is a case in point. Hundreds of user reviews rail at its improbable story line littered with ludicrous incidents and bizarre characterisations. They are often very angry: "Don't waste your time on this rubbish", " This crap stole an hour and a half of my life" etc. An equal number celebrate yet another example of the work of an award winning director, drawing attention it's wonderful evocation of a certain kind of reality, plus characters and a plot line that are completely unpredictable right up to the last moment. "Perhaps the best film I've ever seen" etc.The paradox perhaps lies in our assumption that film is not just a medium but a genre. Different directors and writers use the medium in a variety of ways but thanks perhaps to the conventional two line hooker promotions that a company like Netflix uses to set up a film, many viewers are deeply disappointed when a film doesn't meet their perfectly proper expectations of a good old drama or thriller using conventional plot traditions and character types that they can recognise.So, my advice is, before you rush to rubbish a film, have a look at its antecedents: the directors track record,( in this case that of P.T. Anderson), the producer's other films, the writers, etc. Looking at other people's reviews, try and see what those who love the film are getting from it, and please take me seriously when say that 'Punch Drink Love" is one of the most moving and refreshing movies I've ever seen. It may well work for you too.

While I personally cannot say in good faith that this is Paul Thomas Anderson's best film, it is the one that made me feel the most. I feel like this is a very personal film in an emotional way that PTA's other films like Boogie Nights and The Master can not compare to. It is the story of Barry Eagan, a lonely, awkward, and troubled man who meets the woman of his dreams. While nothing strictly impossible happens in the film, it does present itself as a kind of fantasy. Many unexplained (if not unexplainable) things occur in the film that may throw casual viewers off. The music is sweeping, and the dialogue feels grand. Barry is played by Adam Sandler, who gives one of the best performances of his career. He plays a sort of inverse of his usual Happy Madison charicatures. Barry is awkward, very strange, and has anger management problems. However, here I felt extreme pity for Sandler's character. I understand the feeling of being an outcast, and when Barry says sometimes he "cries for no reason" and begins crying right then, I found myself tearing up. I understand why someone might not react this way to this scene; they may even feel inclined to laugh. Punch-Drunk Love is the kind of movie you either get or you don't. I think I did.

In the whole movie I waited for the plot to stir up and i was just waiting that it would start now but it never happened. Whole movie was a disappointment. Seriously some stupid kids rated this as 10. wtf