DIRECTOR: Paul Thomas Anderson
CAST: Adam Sandler. Emily Watson, Phillip Seymour Hoffman
THE PLOT: A beleaguered small business owner gets a harmonium and embarks on a romantic journey with a mysterious woman.
BEN'S VIEWS: Punch Drunk Love is about as far from your typical romantic comedy as you can get. And this certainly isn't Adam Sandlers typical fare such as 50 First Dates. Not that there is anything wrong with his other movies but the emotions in this one run deeper.In fact, this is Sandler's best work ever in a dramatic role. The character is perfect for him: a shy, socially inept man prone to fits of rage or crying. Sandler and Emily Watson create one of the more memorable screen romances because it is so unique. Paul Thomas Anderson's direction also part of what makes it unique. For example pay attention to the way the soundtrack is used to match Sandlers characters mood All in all Punch Drunk Love is a strange and wondeful film.
DIRECTOR: Martin Scorsese
CAST: Leonardo DiCaprio, Daniel Day-Lewis, Cameron Diaz, Brendan Gleeson, John C. Reilly, Liam Neeson, Henry Thomas, Jim Broadbent
THE PLOT: In 1863, Amsterdam Vallon returns to the Five Points area of New York City seeking revenge against his father's killer, Bill the Butcher.
BEN'S VIEWS: Gangs of New York is all over the place, attempting to cover a huge amount of material and themes in its 167 minute running time. In a sense it may suffer from overambition. But rarely is a movie so vividly alive. From set design to costume design director Martin Scorsese successfully recreates our beloved New York City in the mid-1800's. This is the perfect backdrop for the story of vengeance at the center of the film. The film also boasts bringing one of the greatest villains ever to the screen with Bill the Butcher played with an animals rage by Daniel Day-Lewis. His performance overshadows all in the film, even that of the protagonist played by Leonardo DiCaprio. This film does contain its problems but not nearly enough to stop this from being an excellent and entertaining film. It is a flawed masterpiece.
DIRECTOR: Judd Apatow (Knocked Up) and Greg Mottola (Superbad)
CAST: KNOCKED UP: Seth Rogen, Katherine Heigl, Paul Rudd, Leslie Mann SUPERBAD: Jonah Hill, Michael Cera, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Seth Rogen, Bill Hader
THE PLOTS: KNOCKED UP: When two people have a one-night stand they never expect to see each other 8 weeks later as new parents
SUPERBAD: Two co-dependent high school seniors are forced to deal with separation anxiety after their plan to obtain alcohol for a party goes awry.
BEN'S VIEWS: Ok, yes I am cheating by giving this spot to two films. But the films are both Judd Apatow productions, contain the same brand of witty dialogue and are both laugh-until you cry hilarious. They make a perfect comedy double feature. But if you had to pick just one over the other it's almost impossible to do. Both films have uncommon depth for comedies, offering insights into how we grow up. The jokes are funnier because they are centered around the stories and their memorable characters whereas most comedies create their stories/characters around funny jokes and concepts. It's rare that two comedies released in a span of a couple months turn out to be two of the best of a decade. And they go together so well.
