Punch-Drunk Love 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.5
Overall		4.5

Punch-Drunk Love 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Kenneth Brown February 15, 2024

In the past I've been one of the first people to roll my eyes and sound the alarm when studios release "classics" collections. One, these editions are usually never-before-released films paired with previously released films, meaning consumers are forced to double dip on some movies to acquire others. Two, it's rare that such collections increase the value of the movies included in every way. But the Columbia Classics Collection series is a different beast entirely. Take the latest volume for example. Volume 4 not only features six films making their 4K UltraHD debuts, it features six truly excellent classic films accompanied by multiple Dolby Atmos audio tracks, newly produced extras, and other bonuses, all in a genuinely collectible, handsomely packaged collector's set. Not too shabby! The price may scare some folks, but once you start connecting the dots on just how much you would spend on all six releases, each of which I would highly recommend, you actually start to realize the price isn't unreasonable at all. Volume 4 films include award winners, critical darlings and fan favorites alike: His Girl Friday (1940), a sharply scripted and surprisingly timely commentary on the "dark ages of the newspaper game"; Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967), a brilliantly awkward clash-of-cultures influence on so many films that represents one of the finest unpacking of everyday race relations in 1960s cinema; Kramer vs. Kramer (1979), a heartbreaking dramatization of the impact and collateral damage of divorce and custody battles; Starman (1984), an oft-forgotten gem of a romantic sci-fi adventure that puts a spin on E.T.; Sleepless in Seattle (1993), which needs no introduction to anyone who was coming of age or searching for love in the '90s; and Punch-Drunk Love (2002), simultaneously one of Paul Thomas Anderson and Adam Sandler's best, forcing mental health, romance and social anxiety to collide in a dramedy for the ages.

Synopsis: Although susceptible to violent outbursts, bathroom supply business owner Barry Egan (Adam Sandler) is a timid and shy man by disposition, leading a lonely, uneventful life; partly due to the constant berating he suffers from his seven sisters. However, several events transpire that shake up Egan's mundane existence, one of which is falling in love with one of his sister's co-workers, Lena Leonard (Emily Watson). But the romance is soon threatened when Egan falls victim to an extortionist. Written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, Punch-Drunk Love also stars Philip Seymour Hoffman as mattress store owner Dean Trumbell, Mary Lynn Rajskub as Barry's overbearing sister Elizabeth, Luis Guzmán as his co-worker Lance, and Robert Smigel as Barry's dentist brother-in-law Walter.

Divisive and unapologetic, Punch-Drunk Love will continue to split audiences as readily as any other Paul Thomas Anderson feature. It's a dark absurdist comedy through and through, and Sandler's soft-spoken bumbling and boiling-beneath-the-surface anxiety only combine to further the uncomfortable laughs sprinkled across the film's three acts. Barry's sisters aren't just overbearing; you'll grow weary of their constant nagging and criticism. Lena isn't just alluring to Barry; you'll feel yourself drawn into her charms, practically begging the bashful blue suit to hurry up and kiss the girl. Dean isn't just a rival to despise; you'll loathe him with every cell in your being. That's the punch of Punch-Drunk Love: bonding you to Barry in ways lead characters don't often earn. Empathy crescendos, heartache threatens to burst open, and the fear that nothing good will come in the end becomes a real palpable concern. Credit Anderson's sharp-witted script, or his painfully ordinary cast of characters, but somewhere between the filmmaker's script and vision comes a wholly realized story more universal than peculiar, more affecting than stunted, and far more believable than its absurdist stylings suggest.

Can it come off as a tad pretentious? Maybe. The visual art pieces that fade in and out of view between scenes can be somewhat odd if you don't notice the ties to the conflicts or prevailing emotions that precede each one. And the insistence on discomfort -- especially when all roads to Lena seem easier than the one Barry chooses -- can strike cold, as if fate has intervened, bringing with it all the universe's hatred for Barry and focusing it on one small stretch of days in his terribly unremarkable and otherwise uneventful life. As my colleague put it in his review of the Criterion release of the film, it can all feel a bit artificial. But push through the quirks and anti-flair of Punch-Drunk Love and you'll find a heightened but surprisingly sensible look at love; not at first sight, but at first feel, as passions and people collide with as much ferocity and unexpected force as the auto accident that disrupts the forward action of the film. Sandler is magnificent, as is his supporting cast, and Anderson is at the top of his comic and absurdist game, coming together to forge a different kind of dark comedy that's all at once meaningful and poignant. I'd also be remiss if I didn't share my favorite quote on the film, courtesy of Newsweek's David Ansen, who described it as "a romantic comedy on the verge of a nervous breakdown." If that sounds like your brand of movie, look no further.

Punch-Drunk Love 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Sony's 4K video presentation outclasses an already impressive 2016 effort from Criterion, increasing clarity with effortless ease. The upgrade won't be entirely apparent from the start, nor at every moment. Anderson and cinematographer Robert Elswit set out to shoot a low-key avant garde indie and the photography certainly looks the part, sacrificing modern crispness, color accuracy and saturation in favor of hot contrast leveling, rosy skintones, impenetrable black levels, and at-times softer than usual shots throughout. Even Anderson described the movie as an "art house film with Adam Sandler". Don't be put off by such aesthetic choices. This is the image as the filmmakers intended, and it has never been more faithful to the original theatrical experience (which I remember oh so fondly) than it is here. Primaries pop quite vibrantly, particularly the electric blue of Sandler's suit and the reds and purples of Lena's blouses and dresses; made even more powerful by the monochromatic grays, light blues and whites of Barry's business. And the splashes of color in Jeremy Blake's art pieces? Beautiful. Detail is excellent, with a refined grain field that never grows too bold or aggressive, clean edge definition (with only a halo here or there), and nicely resolved texturing. Add to that an absence of encoding issues? The 4K transfer you get is as near-perfect as they come. No complaints here.

Punch-Drunk Love 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Punch-Drunk Love is a notably quiet film... until it isn't. Still, the experience is, for the most part, a front-leaning one, even as presented by Sony's new Doly Atmos track. Anderson relies on natural sounds in natural environments, so when all we get is Barry and a few others talking, along with the buzz of an overhead florescent light or the distant, muffled sound of passing traffic, there isn't a lot to go on. But just wait. These moments set you up for the bursts of anxiety, shouts and, God love it, that sudden car crash (which will send you tumbling out of your seat if you aren't ready for it). Low-end output proves its mettle in such sequences, as do the surround speakers, which bring busy streets, subdued hospital wards, bustling restaurants and even get-togethers with Barry's sisters sound convincing and engaging. The track's more immersive qualities, along with its finely prioritized dialogue and absorbing music fidelity, become more and more obvious until you're left with only one conclusion: Punch-Drunk Love sounds better than ever.

Punch-Drunk Love 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Deleted Scenes (HD, 11 minutes) - Three deleted scenes are included: "The Sisters Call", "Mattress Man Commercial", and "Are You From California?" Nothing revolutionary here but fans will enjoy.

• Blossoms and Blood (SD, 12 minutes) - A short film/art piece from Paul Thomas Anderson featuring Adam Sandler and Emily Watson, along with music by Jon Brion.

• Jon Brion Featurette (HD, 27 minutes) - Brion, here bearing a striking resemblance to Malcolm McDowell's Alex from A Clockwork Orange, explains how the soundtrack for Punch-Drunk Love was created and how the music was integrated into the film. The interview was conducted for Criterion in 2016.

• Recording Sessions (SD, 10 minutes) - Footage from 2001, at Abbey Road Studios.

• Scopitones (SD, 7 minutes) - Twelve "scopitone" visual art shorts.

• Additional Jeremy Blake Artwork

• Theatrical Trailer

• International Trailer

• (HD, ... minutes) -

Punch-Drunk Love 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Punch-Drunk Love is not for everyone. It's not even for every Paul Thomas Anderson fan. It is a startling and startlingly funny dark romantic dramedy, though; one in which Sandler delivers one of his finest dramatic performances to date. You'll feel the anxiety running off the screen, and you'll find yourself rooting for love even when it seems as if it's against all odds. Sony's 4K release seals the deal too, thanks to a near-perfect video transfer, a deceptively strong Dolby Atmos track and a decent collection of extras.