Punch-Drunk Love isn’t one of Paul Thomas Anderson’s greatest work, yet it’s still a lovely film nevertheless, what was most impressive then and now is seeing that Adam Sandler can turn in a well done, dramatic performance and paired with the exquisite Emily Watson makes for a poignant little romance-drama.
The plot for Men, Woman & Children does get heavy-handed towards the end and Garner’s character is more caricature than anything, but despite its flaws, and even though this is hardly Reitman’s strongest film, it’s still a job well done.
Blended isn’t nearly as bad as some of Sandler’s other recent “works” (i.e. train wrecks) because unlike something like Grown Ups 2, I actually managed to laugh (even mildly) a couple of times and, well, it actually had some semblance of a plot even if it is convoluted. And although the material is substandard, the re-pairing of Sandler and Barrymore is a welcoming sight.
The first Grown Ups movie wasn’t anything special but it did provide a few laughs and a relatively coherent plot, Grown Ups 2 on the other hand has no real plot to speak of but worst of all, there’s no real laughs and seeing this cast back together is hardly enough to hold the film together.
Just Go With It might’ve sounded good on paper, or at least on the stage since it is based on a play, but the practicality of it even within the romantic-comedy realm just doesn’t add up. We have two characters that we’re supposed to like, and in fact at times do, but when you take a step back, their actions make no sense.