Review - Punch-Drunk Love

Ever since I saw the Breaking the Waves and Billy Madison double feature that my local drive-in played (in that order) shortly before it went under, I knew that it was only a matter of time before a visionary filmmaker would capitalize on the obvious potential chemistry between Emily Watson and Adam Sandler. For some reason the rest of the audience that night wasn't feeling Sandler's jokes - some people, probably the same stiffs who didn't so much as chuckle when Bess did her spot-on impressions of the Lord, even drove off during the opening credits. Good riddance! Never one to be comedied-out, I stayed all the way through the Billy Madison outtakes (alas, Breaking the Waves didn't have any - must be a von Trier thing), contemplating the nuances of Sandler's performance. I think I noticed some intriguing parallels between Jewish and Calvinist approaches to humor and salvation, but I'm still working out the details. Perhaps this is fertile ground for a future post...

Anyway, boy was I glad when I found out that P.T. Anderson had shared my vision and committed it to celluloid. Alas, despite more on-screen chemistry than Al Pacino and the word "fuck," Punch-Drunk Love isn't the perfect film, but it has a lot going for it. Here's what caught my attention:

1. The original (in both senses) soundtrack. Barry Egan (Sandler) has psychological problems. He's prone to paroxysms of destructive rage, sparked primarily by his seven domineering and dysfunctional sisters. But his issues are more complex than anger management. In my lay opinion, he seems to be too close to the bad end of the autistic spectrum: he often appears oblivious to, and overwhelmed by, everyday stimuli (such as meeting new people, especially women); he's emotionally and socially stunted (but in a way distinct from the typical Sandlerian manchild); and verbal communication isn't exactly his strong suit (except when intimidation is called for). So what has this got to do with the soundtrack? Well, it struck me that the percussive, layered, and sometimes cacophonous music that plays when we see things from Barry's perspective is meant to convey the blooming, buzzing confusion that he's experiencing. It's as if we can hear his inner chaos. At any rate, these conspicuous and distinctive tracks help bring atmosphere to the foreground of the film, which is a plus, because the story itself is nothing special; the magic of this film is in the execution, the details, the tone.

2. The cinematography. I am not expert, but Anderson clearly uses some cool and unusual shots and lenses. He also intersperses some colorful abstract art by frequent collaborator Jeremy Blake (R.I.P.). You'll have to see for yourself.

3. The descent into fantasy. The film starts off quirky but fundamentally realistic. Ayn Rand didn't write the dialogue, and no one makes a dwarf-tossing joke in the middle of a pitched battle over the moral fate of the world - everyone acts like a real person, with real emotions, however eccentric. But once the love story takes off - literally, to Hawaii - no amount of chemistry can make up for the fact that we have no idea what Lena Leonard (Watson) sees in Barry. She's stable, successful, and has a British accent; he's crazy, strapped for cash (he's counting on a milking an overgenerous frequent flyer miles promotion - based on a true story), and sounds like Adam Sandler. Yet she's really into him. Maybe this is just Anderson situating himself in the romantic comedy section (love at first sight), but still, there should be something, however implausible, behind the romance if he wants the audience to care. (Interestingly, maybe he doesn't: maybe he was that committed to style over substance; maybe he wanted to focus exclusively on Barry's emotions; maybe this was his way of satirizing the genre.) Fortunately, viewers are free to form their own understandings of characters' motivations.*

Rating: 8/10

*To me, it's obvious that Lena is Bess, or, more accurately, who Bess became when she entered the universe of P.T. Anderson. (Maybe she ran away; I hear that von Trier tends to get a bit testy around the 17th take.) She may be unconscious of her true motives, but I know that the real reason she's getting coital with Barry is so she can tell Jan all about it - in Breaking the Waves II: Punch-Drunk Confessions. You heard it here first.