5. Punch-Drunk Love
Admittedly, this is a rather obvious pick. The film actually won mostly positive reviews especially for Sandler. However, the film simply doesn't get enough credit. It didn't make as much of a splash upon release as other Paul Thomas Anderson films even though it is a great film elevated by a very strong lead performance from the man that punched out Bob Barker. The key to the film was the fact that PTA understood his leading man. He took that shy character with a hidden, boiling anger from most of Sandler's films and made him real. He took that character typically played for laughs in more mainstream Sandler films and played him to dramatic (and sometimes hilarious) effect in this romantic film. Adam Sandler is great in this film. It is one of his best performances. He creates an entire character. In scenes where he says nothing, we can see a history written on his face, we can see emotion boiling below the surface. He's calm and collected in scenes and aggressively frustrated in others and they are all believable. It's a great film with a great and believable love story that works because of Sandler's central performance.