When Sandler digs deep into a performance, like the one in āPunch-Drunk Love,ā thereās an eccentricity to it that most mainstream movie stars simply donāt have. He taps into something that I can best describe as wounded, awkward, and āquietly?ā explosive ā 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.
Itās wild that Sandler wasnāt 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 thatās not a slapstick Happy Madison production, Iām always thrilled. Heās never bad, and often times surprises delightfully.
