World of Reel

When Sandler digs deep into a performance, like the one in “Punch-Drunk Love,” there’s an eccentricity to it that most mainstream movie stars simply don’t have. He taps into something that I can best describe as wounded, awkward, and —quietly?— explosive — a kind of emotional instability that feels authentic. You have to endure the disposable comedies so that, every once in a while, Sandler can reach this type of performance out of the bag.

It’s wild that Sandler wasn’t nominated for Uncut Gems. I thought he was going to have a chance to win it that year, and to not even get nominated was a tragedy. When I see him show up in something that’s not a slapstick Happy Madison production, I’m always thrilled. He’s never bad, and often times surprises delightfully.