Punch Drunk Love

Although Punch Drunk Love is a must-see movie, the film's main character Barry Eagan, played splendidly by Adam Sandler, is so distraught that it's almost a rather-not-see.

Written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, Punch Drunk Love is so painful to watch, at times you find yourself cringing, covering your eyes, or wanting to look away. Anderson, who also directed Magnolia and Boogie Nights, was able to evoke those same feelings all over again, making us not want to see what we're seeing or finding it difficult to believe the characters are actually true to life.

In between struggling with feelings of self-doubt, self-hatred and horrible fits of rage, Sandler plays the owner of a small novelty business. Most of the time he is seen sipping from his travel coffee cup, fielding phone calls from his seven overbearing sisters, or calling companies like Healthy Choice about their free frequent flyer mile offers.

You see Barry is a bit of a loner and when he does interact with people he'd almost prefer not to. It's impossible not to get that feeling, when he goes to a family party and has difficulty even talking to his own family. Sadly, Barry is an outsider even when he should be in.

Sandler plays a character so completely different than his routine, annoying, silly, screaming self that it is almost hard to believe it's the same person. This is no Billy Madison, that's for sure.

As if his life wasn't complicated enough, when Barry calls a phone-sex line looking for companionship, what he finds are people who want his money and plan to come after him to get it.

Amidst this whole entire mess that is Barry's life, Sandler, who thinks he'll never find that one person who could possibly understand him, actually finds her. Enter Lena Leonard, played by Emily Watson. It is Lena that saves Barry and makes him want to be a better person. He loses interest in his mundane world and his focus shifts to just being with Lena.

When four guys in a pickup truck come after Barry and his money and hurt Lena in the process, we see Barry's anger rise to the surface. He'll do anything to protect the one he loves. For once he stands up for himself. Go Barry!

Punch Drunk Love is a movie that makes you think about the possibility of that one true love in your life and how that person could change your life for the better and completely turn your world upside down in the process.