Film Review – Enough Said
2 min read
Enough Said, one of the last films James Gandolfini made, also stars Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Eva, a forty-something massage therapist who starts dating Albert (Gandolfini) after the two meet at a party. Originally Eva doesn’t think Albert is her type, but after their first date she realizes they have more in common than she originally thought (they both have teenage daughters about to leave for college), and she warms to the idea of dating him. As her relationship with Albert begins to blossom, so does her friendship with her newest client (and poet) Marianne, a bitter divorcee who talks endlessly about all of her ex-husbands faults. Before long, Eva realizes that Marianne’s ex is actually Albert, and she begins to see him differently. Whereas her relationship with Albert seemed to be progressing well, Eva now becomes more attuned to his idiosyncrasies, creating a sense of awkwardness between them that eventually reaches a peak and things go downhill. She’s caught between two people, one a friend, the other the person she is dating, and if she comes clean she risks driving one (or both) of them away, so she avoids telling either of them, digging the hole deeper. This sets up some pretty funny situations, such as Eva having to avoid meeting Marianne’s daughter, who she previously met at lunch with Albert.
I’m not a huge fan of the romantic comedy genre, but this film I really liked. It was bitter-sweet, and the dialogue and situations were actually relatable, especially to someone in the over 40 age-group. Dreyfus and Gandolfini seem very natural and to have genuine chemistry together, and Eva and Albert aren’t two idealized characters in storybook love but very normal people with flaws, and baggage who are very cautious and guarded from prior relationships, taking cautious steps to open up to one another. It’s both very funny, and at times very moving thanks to an excellent script by Nicole Holofcener.
The cast of Enough Said was superb, especially Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Eva. Gandolfinia and Catherine Keener (as Marianne) were great too, but Toni Collette I felt was a bit under-utilized in the somewhat generic role of Eva’s friend Sarah.
Enough Said is fantastic, both poignant and funny, showing how finding love is an uphill battle, especially as we get older. It’s a deeper, richer, more nuanced love story that makes it very enjoyable and one of the best comedies of the year.
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::: Renowned For Sound Technical Director and Film Reviewer ::: Robert is an IT geek, movie fan and part-time movie reviewer/editor. Robert also looks after the ‘behind the scenes’ technical elements of Renowned For Sound.