Writer-director Paul Thomas Anderson (Boogie Nights, Magnolia) and unlikely star Adam Sandler team up for the best film in either of their careers. As Barry Egan, a shy small-business owner given to fits of rage, Sandler dials down his manic persona a notch or two, bringing it a bit closer to real life. Meanwhile, Anderson’s often overblown flourishes find a purpose when love blooms between Barry and a set-up date (Emily Watson). The result is the most rapturous movie romance since Moulin Rouge.
