Yes, this movie is bathetic (yes, bathetic)and deliberately sentimental (right down to the clique music playing at the 'touching' moments). It doesn't have great role models or soul-searching value.
But you know what? You catch Sandler actually acting in it - and acting pretty well. Of course we get his anti-social ranting, played before in Happy Gilmore and Billy Madison, but you also get Sandler handling the love interest well and interacting with the kid on more than one level. 'Punch Drunk Love' shouldn't be such a surprise to critics or audiences after the work he does in this movie and "The Wedding Singer".
The movie has it's usual Sandler moments (gross/disgusting/questionable moral value), but he was also showing us a little more heart and a little less psychotic behavior with this one. So he may have been doing this to bring more women and children into the theater? The fact is he is CAPABLE of doing it (which I sincerely doubted before this came out) and that should be worth a few points.
But you know what? You catch Sandler actually acting in it - and acting pretty well. Of course we get his anti-social ranting, played before in Happy Gilmore and Billy Madison, but you also get Sandler handling the love interest well and interacting with the kid on more than one level. 'Punch Drunk Love' shouldn't be such a surprise to critics or audiences after the work he does in this movie and "The Wedding Singer".
The movie has it's usual Sandler moments (gross/disgusting/questionable moral value), but he was also showing us a little more heart and a little less psychotic behavior with this one. So he may have been doing this to bring more women and children into the theater? The fact is he is CAPABLE of doing it (which I sincerely doubted before this came out) and that should be worth a few points.