Actually lives up to its title, but. . .

I always look forward to a new Paul Thomas Anderson film: you can surely count on an uncompromised vision with his work, and Punch-Drunk Love is no exception. Adam Sandler picks up where he left off in The Wedding Singer (and then some - creating an supremely original 3-dimensional character), Emily Watson breathes believability into a part that could have been ridiculous by actually making us feel that she has a genuine empathy for Adam's borderline psychotic Barry, and the story unfolds in a totally unpredictable way, which always gets major points with me.

However (and I wish I didn't have a 'however' with this movie), by the end it wasn't very satisfying and I left the theatre feeling that perhaps some of the best scenes wound up on the cutting-room floor - the film just didn't feel 'complete' to me. Still, it was worth watching and I would recommend it for its sheer originality alone.