2. Punch-Drunk Love (2002)
When it seemed like Adam Sandler was a one-note performer, director Paul Thomas Anderson proved otherwise with his acclaimed surrealist picture Punch-Drunk Love. Sandler takes charge as socially inept, often shy business owner Barry Egan, who is eternally drowned out by the overbearing presence of his many sisters. Barry’s life changes when he falls for one of his sister’s coworkers (Emily Watson) and becomes the victim to an extorting phone sex operator. For the first time in his career, Sandler drops the loud voices and manbaby screaming and reveals an infinitely more thoughtful and careful side to his artistry, anchoring a film that revels in the expanse of one’s loneliness.
