Paul Thomas Anderson is one of my favorite directors. Every film he’s ever made have a certain kind of exasperating freshness and bewildering sense of humanity on the edge, where lost souls constantly struggle find meaning. Punch-Drunk Love, which I haven’t seen just yet, seems to be a romantic comedy that doesn’t feel like one.
Buy Punch-Drunk Lover Criterion 4K UHDThe premise has Adam Sandler (who is definitely playing against type) as Barry Egan, a psychologically troubled bathroom-supply business owner who lives a lonely existence. He has seven sisters who are always nagging and berating him, but he receives a much-needed shakeup when he falls for one sister’s co-worker (Emily Watson) while being threatened by a crooked mattress salesman (the late, great Philip Seymour Hoffman).
All I have seen are trailers and clips (including a virtuoso tracking shot as Sandler interacts with his morose seven sisters), but I do get a sense that this is not your grandfather’s romantic comedy. It looks to operate on an absurdist and darkly funny edge that I will obviously love. I have loved all of Anderson’s films I have seen, and I feel that I will this one too.
Making its 4K UHD debut from Criterion this week, it contains the same supplements from the previous Blu-ray and DVD releases, and they still sound enjoyable. They include an interview with composer Jon Brion; Blossoms & Blood, a short piece by Anderson featuring Adam Sandler and Emily Watson, with music by Jon Brion; behind-the-scenes footage of a recording session for the film’s soundtrack; conversation between curators Michael Connor and Lia Gangitano about the art of Jeremy Blake; Cannes Film Festival press conference; deleted scenes; trailers; and more. There is also the same amazing essay by filmmaker, author, and artist Miranda July.
If you’re a fan of Anderson and his unique filmmaking, you’ll probably want to add this one to your collection, depending on your taste.
Other releases:
The Sacrifice 4K + Blu-ray (Kino): Legendary Russian filmmaker Andrei Tarkovsky’s final masterpiece about a family coming to terms with the apocalypse. In order to avert it, Alexander (Erland Josephson) makes a deal with God to give up everything he loves and values in his life.
A Real Pain: Jesse Eisenberg and Kieran Culkin star in this bittersweet dramedy about two cousins traveling to Poland after their grandmother’s death where they rediscover their roots and end up joining a Holocaust tour.
