Punch-Drunk Love
d. Paul Thomas Anderson, 2002
Paul Thomas Anderson's Punch-Drunk Love would be my own choice for the best and most inexhaustible film of the last 6 years. Interestingly enough, one of the only films made since the 90s that would rival it is Anderson's other masterpiece, 1999's Magnolia.
Part of what makes Punch-Drunk Love so great is how indescribable it is. One could choose to label it as a romantic comedy, but that would certainly not communicate the magical (almost musical) way in which Anderson's sequences develop. Instead, I would call it a mixture of the physical comedy of Jacques Tati, the vibrant colors of Jacques Demy, plus Anderson's own razor's edge humor.
Not that plot descriptions are important in a case like this, but the film is about Barry (Adam Sandler in easily the best thing he's ever done), an anti-social 30 something who works at some kind of strange warehouse that apparently manufactures novelty plungers. He has seven sisters who constantly harrass him and don't take him seriously; in a magnificent early scene that takes place at a dinner party, Barry breaks down and smashes her sister's windows.
As the film opens (with no credits), Barry finds a harmonium outside of his workplace and brings it into his office. This, perhaps more than anything in the film, is the symbol for the volatile emotions explained in the title. These arise out of his encounter with a strange lady named Lena (Emily Watson), who comes to drop off her car in the warehouse next to Barry's. Through a series of strange circumstances, they start going out and other things (that I won't give away) happen, culminating in a brilliant final shot that has yet to lose its power after many viewings.
Though Punch-Drunk Love's plot is always engaging and fascinating, perhaps the most astonishing aspect of the film is its visual style. Anderson's use of color, as well as interludes of Jeremy Blake's artwork, is quite intriguing. The three major colors used are red, white, and blue. I could go into details about what these colors mean to the story and their effect on the viewer, but it's better to let each viewer figure these out.
In short, Robert Elswit's cinematography, Jon Brion's amazing music, and Anderson's unparalleled compositions and brilliant script make Punch-Drunk Love cinematic entertainment at its very finest.
