MovieFreak.com - Punch-Drunk Love Superbit DVD Review

Barry Egan (Adam Sandler) is a socially impaired owner of a small novelty business, who is dominated by seven sisters and is unlikely to find love unless it finds him. When a mysterious and beautiful woman (Emma Watson) comes into his life his emotions go haywire, fluctuating between uncontrollable rage, lust and self-doubt.

Paul Thomas Anderson (PTA for short) is on a great stride. His previous films, Hard Eight, Boogie Nights and Magnolia, are all very good. His latest is Punch-Drunk Love, a kind of abstract version of the romantic comedy with little goodies and a commanding, newly-like performance by Adam Sandler (redeeming himself here, thankfully, making up for previous crap fests like Big Daddy and Little Nicky). Mr. Sandler and Mr. Anderson make a really good team here, but the likes of Emma Watson adds greatly to this collaborative, quirky effort of a film. There are more than just a few good things about the film. Let’s start at the beginning.

PTA’s voice is always welcome, fresh and different than the usual. With this film he adds his flair to a genre littered with endless formulas on how to do romantic comedies. PTA burns all of that information and reinvents it in his own way. He gives romantic comedies a new edge, or a new playing ground. But it’s also in the script that things get a little stranger, for Punch-Drunk Love is not consistently romantic or comedic at the same time. His scripts are never very conventional or formulaic, always about things the naked eye doesn’t always notice, like small details. Yet by now we’ve come to expect this kind of thing from PTA, which is why Punch-Drunk Love is not a total surprise. It’s something new for sure, because the script is shorter, more condensed and focuses on only two major characters (a certainly good improvement over PTA’s previous films). On the whole, the script is pretty good.

The film also benefits from some interesting things and people in the story. One is the pudding scam that allows for over a million frequent flyer miles, which Barry is eager to receive. Another is the phone-sex operator who threatens and blackmails Barry, a subplot that ends with a cool payoff ("you shut up")! How about Barry’s seven sisters who keep nagging him, calling at work, asking this, asking that? Lastly there’s the mysterious harmonium Barry finds abandoned on the street. Little things like these make the film more internal and quirky. Then there’s the visual style of the film. The widescreen format comes together real nice and tracking shots are executed perfectly. Jon Brion’s score is also very elegant and fitting.

First and foremost, however, the acting should be attributed worth and praise. Adam Sandler plays a different character, much more internal and frustrated. His problem with containing his rage or anger is a challenge for Sandler who previously played easy, doofus-type characters. While not a total departure, Sandler is on top of his game and collaborating with Mr. Anderson can only mean good things; that turns out to be true. Emma Watson is also very good as Lena Leonard, creating a lovely romantic interest and major character.

There are a lot of good things about the film, but also some not-so-good things. Despite a very good script in general, Punch-Drunk Love has its slow moments, something like dead air on radio. Despite only running 95 minutes, the film takes a little too long to get going; although I don’t consider this a major drawback. Also, I have a small grudge against the believability of Barry and Lena as characters, yet the quirky chemistry between Sandler and Watson ultimately works for the better. Some of the dialogue is both challenging and strange, such as Barry’s love line, "I love you so much I want to smash your face in with a sledgehammer." But the real notion of love in Barry’s transformed life after meeting Lena is when he says, "I have a love in my life. It makes me stronger than anything you can imagine." While it may sound cliché, I don’t hold it as that and think it makes Barry evolve as a character. On a side note, I think it is funny when someone asks Barry a question and he replies, "Yeah, no I don’t want to do that," and variations of that.

So as a whole Punch-Drunk Love is a firm and very good return for Paul Thomas Anderson since 1999’s Magnolia. Sandler and Watson make a good pair, but it’s also the script that helps them get through the film. What makes the films of PTA so nice to watch is the flair and style he brings to his stories, which are often times more extraordinary because they are simple, quirky and unconventional.

Columbia Tristar presents Punch-Drunk Love in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen. This is my second look at a Superbit release and the picture quality presented here is really nice. I didn’t notice any compression or artifact problems. Grain or dirt didn’t show up on the print either, at least not to the attention of my eyes.

The color palette is kind of gorgeous, especially during the “colorized” sequences. As a whole the colors are presented in a very formidable fashion, which also makes color depth look good (it’s a little soft a few times). There are some dark scenes, one in Hawaii and more than a few in Los Angeles (where the film takes place). Dark tones and black level during those scenes are quite nice and project no major problems. Overall, Punch-Drunk Love looks very good and the Superbit transfer is yet another job well done.

Columbia Tristar presents Punch-Drunk Love in English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound. Jon Brion’s score is a little subtle on the whole, but there sequences when it turns up louder and adds some punch to the soundtrack (no pun intended). The surround sound handles some of the sound effects very nicely, such as the sudden, speeding truck towards the beginning of the film. Dialog is clear and easy to understand. Surround usage is evident, but doesn’t work on a straight, consistent basis. This Superbit audio presentation serves Punch-Drunk Love a very nice presentation.

Punch-Drunk Love is also available in English Dolby Digital Surround, English DTS Stereo, English DD-EX Surround and French Dolby Digital Surround.

Blossoms & Blood (~12 mins) – This feature is more like a montage of clips with various excerpts from the soundtrack playing along side of it. More or less, it’s a lengthy music video that’s edited quite nicely. The music sounds real well as it is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1, but ultimately this video is not for everyone.

Deleted Scenes (~10 mins) – Two scenes are present here, one of which is a lengthy scene (or multiple scenes thereof). It runs some 7 minutes and is generally a good scene, but there’s one small disturbing part; it involves Barry Egan watching a 5-year old kid and saying a few things (that’s all I should say to that, actually; make up your own mind about the dialogue). The other scene is nice to watch too, but all together the two scenes are omitted for obvious reasons.

12 Scopitones – Uh, I’m not sure what to make of these. I guess they’re kind of like commercials with some of the wishy-washy colors over actual footage of the film. I didn’t even check out all of them, just a few. I didn’t think much of them in general, but that’s only me.

Also included is a (really funny) Mattress Man Commercial featuring Philip Seymour Hoffman falling off a set of mattresses. Lastly, there are three theatrical trailers, but the last two are actually teasers. In addition, there is an eight-page booklet inside the DVD sleeve containing Jeremy Blake’s artwork. It’s nice, but nothing else. Subtitles for some of these extras are Korean subtitles, but for what reason? Only Mr. Anderson knows.

On the whole, the second disc is somewhat lacking. A commentary would have been nice, but after Magnolia (New Line Cinema) it appears the director is not keen anymore commenting on his films (for reasons only known to Mr. Anderson). Magnolia’s production documentary was significant and really in-depth, which is why it is disappointing to see nothing of such value on this Superbit special edition release.

You can select to view the film with optional English and French subtitles. The DVD’s menus are not animated, but interactive. The 95-minute feature is organized into twenty-two chapters.

Punch-Drunk Love is definitely worth watching, though it’s not a film for everyone (case in point, my original viewing in the theater provoked at least a dozen walk-outs). Fans of PTA will definitely want to own this Superbit release, despite the lack of true value in the special features department (where’s the commentary and/or behind-the-scenes stuff that would have really made this release?). Punch-Drunk Love comes recommended for the general folk and highly recommended to film buffs.

THE MOVIE	8
THE VIDEO	9
THE AUDIO	8
THE EXTRAS	4
OVERALL (not an average)	7.5