Punch Drunk Adaptation of a Dangerous Mind

[Gold Trumpet]

I liked Nic Cage's performance but Adam Sandler's performance topped it by far. Where I had the feeling that Nic Cage as acting like actors do in a movie, I felt Sandler was reaching heights during the movie at points that couldn't be done by any actor. It had a realness to it that is not identified by most acting today and made it quite a spetacular thing. Nic Cage still gave one of the best performances of the year because he was so different in acting both characters that we always knew who was who even though he changed nothing physically on them. So two very great performances, with Sandler edging Cage out in my mind.

~rougerum

[Film Student]

Gotta go with Adaptation.

[Ernie]

I've been contemplating this exact same thing recently. I love them both to death. It's so hard to choose. They are both so great, my top 2 of 2002 definitely (confessions is number 3). It's like, I think PTA is a better filmmaker than Spike Jonze but I don't know, it's still hard to choose.

[Duck Sauce]

I've been contemplating this exact same thing recently. I love them both to death. It's so hard to choose. They are both so great, my top 2 of 2002 definitely (confessions is number 3). It's like, I think PTA is a better filmmaker than Spike Jonze but I don't know, it's still hard to choose.

Yeah but the question is, who made a better film this time around? Spike Jonze AND Kauffman or PTA?

[Ernie]

I've been contemplating this exact same thing recently. I love them both to death. It's so hard to choose. They are both so great, my top 2 of 2002 definitely (confessions is number 3). It's like, I think PTA is a better filmmaker than Spike Jonze but I don't know, it's still hard to choose.

Yeah but the question is, who made a better film this time around? Spike Jonze AND Kauffman or PTA?

That is indeed the question and it is a question that I can't answer right now. I wish I could because it's driving me nuts. Oh well, I guess I'll just have to see them both again, too bad.  

[Gold Trumpet]

Jonze and Kaufmann need to get off knowing that they have something clever in their hands and just relishing off of it and should start finding ways in which to push those ideas even further. I loved Adaptation, but in hindsight, Being John Malkovich suffers tremendously from this. Adaptation is a much better film and step up for them, even if a rip off of 8 1/2 in the way the makes it claim to being clever. The difference with 8 1/2 though, is that when it was made, it was not distinguished just for the idea it had in how to end a film, but the pure mastery it had in furthering visual poetry of how to shoot a filn. It was given the identification of being the film that was the full liberation from films of yesterday that most people here generally consider boring to the films of now that have an intensity to reality in feeling and shooting. Yes, films before this did show many ways of filmmaking of the 70s and into today, but 8 1/2 was given the label of being the one with the pure mastery to bring that full force.

~rougerum

[joke08]

I couldn't decide, but the Academy didn't have a problem with that.
I loved them both and for very different reasons.
Sandler actually showed his talent, since his other movies, aren't really my cup of tea. I love PTA, has to be my favorite writer/directer.
Adaptation was amazing, though, and i feel it's how a book should be adapted for screen, as an inspiration, not a direct representation of the book. I'm in this web of reading the Orchid Thief now and i just find that the two, the movie and the book, really complement each other. This is an amazing thing. You don't have to read the book first, either.
But PDL, was just a very sweet story, and I am an optimist.
So, I'll go with PDL, if i had to choose, just because I love PT anderson.
Both films show that the film as a work of art, is not dead.

[av8raaron]

PDL.  I sometimes get the impression that while both PTA and Kaufmann are both brilliant and nuts, PTA's better at using two at crafting a plot.  Kaufmann I think, just kind of opens up his braincase and lets the ideas drip out (ala Paul Krendler).

Additionally, something just kind of irked me with Cage's performance(s).  My problem more than Cage's but I was having a hard time getting my cranium around the dude from Con Air/The Rock/Gone in 60 Seconds being Kaufmann.  It's been too long since I've seen "Leaving Las Vegas" I guess.

[©brad]

I've been contemplating this exact same thing recently. I love them both to death. It's so hard to choose. They are both so great, my top 2 of 2002 definitely (confessions is number 3). It's like, I think PTA is a better filmmaker than Spike Jonze but I don't know, it's still hard to choose.

Yeah but the question is, who made a better film this time around? Spike Jonze AND Kauffman or PTA?

That is indeed the question and it is a question that I can't answer right now. I wish I could because it's driving me nuts. Oh well, I guess I'll just have to see them both again, too bad.  

I don't understand why you feel you must decide which film is the 'better one.' Films aren't suppose to compete against eachother. Remember the oscars was created by the studios to promote movies. They don't really mean anything right? Why can't you like both movies?

[Ernie]

I've been contemplating this exact same thing recently. I love them both to death. It's so hard to choose. They are both so great, my top 2 of 2002 definitely (confessions is number 3). It's like, I think PTA is a better filmmaker than Spike Jonze but I don't know, it's still hard to choose.

Yeah but the question is, who made a better film this time around? Spike Jonze AND Kauffman or PTA?

That is indeed the question and it is a question that I can't answer right now. I wish I could because it's driving me nuts. Oh well, I guess I'll just have to see them both again, too bad.  

I don't understand why you feel you must decide which film is the 'better one.' Films aren't suppose to compete against eachother. Remember the oscars was created by the studios to promote movies. They don't really mean anything right? Why can't you like both movies?

Oh, I agree with you completely...I was only trying to choose which one was better for the xixax awards, I normally wouldn't have even thought about it.

[BrainSushi]

I gotta admit that I loved various aspects of both... both had great performances, great direction, great cinematography, great music, and of course, but were extremely well written. I would also name them the top two films of the year, BUT...

I'm a Paul Thomas Anderson fanboy. I would blow the man if the opportunity arrose. Spike is great, but I'm not fanboy.

So my vote definitely goes to Punch-Drunk Love.

[Stringstroker]

My vote is PDL, but you know what is exciting?  They are both being released superbit, which means DTS sound and a high bit rate picture.  YES!!!  My DVD player will be working overtime soon.

[USTopGun47]

Any other time I would say that role by Nicholas Cage trumps Adam Sandler by far.  But I just can't bring myself to do it with PDL.  Mainly because Sandler had a total conversion.  It is PTA directly working through him.  Beautiful, such the conversion.

[Alethia]

pdl

[meatwad]

since i just bought the dvd this week, i'm gonna go with adaptation. PDL did blow me away when i saw it in the theatre. I can't make this decision till PDL comes out on DVD.






//www.thestate22.com