Enough Said (2013)

Elaine benes meets tony soprano. I was loving this movie for about 80 minutes, when I had an "oh no" moment. that's the moment when you realize the director won't be giving us the ending we see coming, but instead, we will be getting the ending the preview audience wanted. sadly. the story is simple, but not. Julia is a massage therapist, with Catherine keener as a client. they discuss former husbands. Julia meets james gnadolfini, who, you guessed it , is Catherine's ex husband. Julia and james fall in love. complications ensue. the two leads are great together, the writing is intelligent and for the most part real. it's not a feel good comedy, but wants you to be happy at the end. don't get me wrong, here . I loved this film. it's great. I was just sorry about the ending. there are two.

Charming, sweet and unassuming. I'm not a fan of romantic comedy but this one avoids all the genre's usual pitfalls. Both leads break from their typecasts and the chemistry between them is delightful. Louis-Dreyfus plays a warmer character than usual; less intelligent, less cynical, much more likable. Gandolfini's performance is amazing. Humble, sweet, gentle... Nothing like Tony Soprano. I always get a little sad watching this as it was released not long before his death. It's bittersweet though, because he left us this gem as a legacy. As Soprano he was infamous and legendary. Though likable at times, there was always the threat of violence present. As Albert, he shows us a more approachable side.OK, this has gone on too long. Basically: unlike every other romcom, this doesn't feel contrived or corny. Great cast, direction and script. The key to its success is that it doesn't put on airs. It doesn't try to be funny all the time. It's two real people falling in love.

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.

Enough Said (2013)We used to come up with the phrase, "It's a Nora Ephron movie." And we knew what that meant, a contemporary "woman's picture," focusing on women and appealing to women viewers. Now there is a slightly more acerbic and less bubbly update, "It's a Nicole Holofcener movie."She might hate that idea—Ephron is a great writer but is sometimes maligned for being too glib and feel-good. And that's the pleasure of a Holofcener movie, a more real and delicate slice of life. This kind of aura depends on great acting—and we have that here. James Gandolfini is terrific, and his sometimes flame here, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, is his match. Both are nuanced and deeply engaged in a restrained and very believable way. It's right on.There are no pyrotechnics here, no outrageous turns of plot, no murders or improbable dramatics. Which means that this is not a roller coaster wild ride. It's just some normal people figuring out their lives. But so well done you get involved. It might not seem like enough sometimes, that the revelations of the main characters don't really matter enough, but that's how it is, that's how life is.So, yes, it works as a movie, and is absorbing. It sometimes skims clichés, especially with their children who are not developed as characters. But what it nails, it nails beautifully.