Enough Said is charming, funny and enjoyable. For real-life reasons it is also somewhat heartbreaking. Julia Louis-Dreyfus and James Gandolfini make for a great, if somewhat odd, couple. You'll love seeing them together. But an undeniable sadness hangs over the film. You can't help but think of Gandolfini's untimely passing, especially as the film makes jokes about his girth, jokes which now seem desperately sad and not at all funny. But this is a great performance from Gandolfini. It is sad that we won't see him on the screen again. But Enough Said is a film worthy of his superb talent, giving us one last great memory of the man.
Louis-Dreyfus plays massage therapist Eva, divorced mother of a teenage girl. Her daughter is about to head off to college. Gandolfini plays Albert, divorced father of a teenage girl. His daughter is about to head off to college. Neither Eva nor Albert appear to be seriously looking for a relationship. But at a party they find one another and there is an obvious connection there. Eva, not physically attracted to flabby Albert, hesitates at first. But she finds herself charmed by this man. They become friends. Then they become something more than friends. It's a great coupling. Eva and Albert are great together, largely because Louis-Dreyfus and Gandolfini are great together. This seemingly mismatched couple have great chemistry. Their relationship is charming, their interactions are witty, it's really fun to see. But there are complications.
Albert wasn't the only interesting person Eva met at that party. She also is introduced to Marianne, a divorced, and rather pretentious, poet. Eva takes on Marianne as a client and quickly becomes good friends with her. And then things get a little messy. Here the film becomes a little obvious, it's not hard to deduce the plot's secret. But that doesn't really detract from the film, everything is clearly revealed rather quickly anyway. Anyhow, Eva finds herself in a bit of a pickle and she reacts badly, making a real mess out of things. You want Eva and Albert to be together but as you watch things play out you wonder if Eva deserves him. She screws up big time. There is a lot of hurt which will need to be overcome if there is to be a happily ever after to this tale.
The situation Eva finds herself in, and the way she reacts to it, does seem a little contrived. And some of the film's initial charm does fade as Eva behaves rather badly. Albert deserves better. But Eva is not a bad person and, portrayed as she is with wonderful vulnerability by Louis-Dreyfus, she is a woman you still pull for in the end. Of course Eva is not the only vulnerable one. Albert has been hurt before. You hate to see him possibly hurt again. And Gandolfini captures the hurt, the pain, the vulnerability so well. It really is a startling performance. There is much to like about this film. It is well scripted, has great wit and some truly funny moments. It also has great charm and tenderness. Maybe it loses its way a bit in the middle there. The character of Marianne, played with icy coldness by Catherine Keener, throws a bit of a wet blanket over the film. But Louis-Dreyfus and Gandolfini are so good, and so endearing, you overlook any little quibbles with the film. These are two great performers who are absolutely perfect for these roles. You look at the characters and you can't see how they could possibly be a match for one another. Albert, so sloppy and huge. Eva, so stylish and tiny, looking as if she could fit into the palm of Albert's hand. In this case opposites really do attract. And it is good for us that they do. Because these characters, these performers, give us a film so easy to embrace. It is desperately sad that we won't see Gandolfini again. It is an absolute joy to be able to see him here, in a film which serves as a clear reminder of why he will be so missed.
Louis-Dreyfus plays massage therapist Eva, divorced mother of a teenage girl. Her daughter is about to head off to college. Gandolfini plays Albert, divorced father of a teenage girl. His daughter is about to head off to college. Neither Eva nor Albert appear to be seriously looking for a relationship. But at a party they find one another and there is an obvious connection there. Eva, not physically attracted to flabby Albert, hesitates at first. But she finds herself charmed by this man. They become friends. Then they become something more than friends. It's a great coupling. Eva and Albert are great together, largely because Louis-Dreyfus and Gandolfini are great together. This seemingly mismatched couple have great chemistry. Their relationship is charming, their interactions are witty, it's really fun to see. But there are complications.
Albert wasn't the only interesting person Eva met at that party. She also is introduced to Marianne, a divorced, and rather pretentious, poet. Eva takes on Marianne as a client and quickly becomes good friends with her. And then things get a little messy. Here the film becomes a little obvious, it's not hard to deduce the plot's secret. But that doesn't really detract from the film, everything is clearly revealed rather quickly anyway. Anyhow, Eva finds herself in a bit of a pickle and she reacts badly, making a real mess out of things. You want Eva and Albert to be together but as you watch things play out you wonder if Eva deserves him. She screws up big time. There is a lot of hurt which will need to be overcome if there is to be a happily ever after to this tale.
The situation Eva finds herself in, and the way she reacts to it, does seem a little contrived. And some of the film's initial charm does fade as Eva behaves rather badly. Albert deserves better. But Eva is not a bad person and, portrayed as she is with wonderful vulnerability by Louis-Dreyfus, she is a woman you still pull for in the end. Of course Eva is not the only vulnerable one. Albert has been hurt before. You hate to see him possibly hurt again. And Gandolfini captures the hurt, the pain, the vulnerability so well. It really is a startling performance. There is much to like about this film. It is well scripted, has great wit and some truly funny moments. It also has great charm and tenderness. Maybe it loses its way a bit in the middle there. The character of Marianne, played with icy coldness by Catherine Keener, throws a bit of a wet blanket over the film. But Louis-Dreyfus and Gandolfini are so good, and so endearing, you overlook any little quibbles with the film. These are two great performers who are absolutely perfect for these roles. You look at the characters and you can't see how they could possibly be a match for one another. Albert, so sloppy and huge. Eva, so stylish and tiny, looking as if she could fit into the palm of Albert's hand. In this case opposites really do attract. And it is good for us that they do. Because these characters, these performers, give us a film so easy to embrace. It is desperately sad that we won't see Gandolfini again. It is an absolute joy to be able to see him here, in a film which serves as a clear reminder of why he will be so missed.