Review of Enough Said (2013) by Blake P — 13 Feb 2014

Some romantic comedies are stale enough to make me puke in my mouth. The syrup, the clichés, the cheesy one-liners all mount up to be so annoying that it begins to resemble a bad case of food poisoning. And the worst part is, we live in a day in age where these movies do alright business.

It's easy to want to give a big thank you to "Enough Said," an excursion into the genre that makes normalcy just as touching.

Eva (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) is a divorced, single-parenting, middle-aged masseuse who is close to suffering from empty nest syndrome, as her daughter is nearing college departure. It hasn't been one of Eva's top priorities to look for love, considering all the focus has been on her child, so when she meets Albert (James Gandolfini), a similar, kind-hearted, teddy bear of a man, it gives her quite a nice surprise.

But just as the new twosome are beginning to really hit it off, Eva befriends new massage client Marianne (Catherine Keener), who seems to have the perfect life. She has a beautiful home, and a dream career- her only complaint in life is her godawful ex-husband, who she can't seem to stop complaining about.

Before long, Eva begins to realize that Marianne's former spouse is actually Albert, and when this realization hits, it stings. Eva can't seem to stop herself from noticing every one of Albert's flaws, and the latter, who is obviously insulted, doesn't understand why she is suddenly having a change of heart. All we can ask - can Eva have a good relationship with Albert and still be friends with Marianne?

"Enough Said" has all the makings for the plights that doom a sitcom, but thanks to Nicole Holofcener's careful screenplay and keen eye for realism as a director, never once does the film feel at all cloying or overdone.

After all, the events do revolve around a couple in their 50s, both of whom are average in life and just want companionship. There aren't any stereotypical romantic comedy characters in the film because there doesn't have to be. Rather than beg us for laughs, or gooey sighs in adoration of romance, Holofcener creates a world that we could easily jump right into, and it wouldn't feel much different.

The film, at first glance, appears as though it could be slightly cursed, as it holds one of Gandolfini's final roles before his tragic death. But since "Enough Said" is made with such knowing quality, it manages to be a perfect vehicle for a man known for playing brutes with full-force.

Gandolfini has a certain type of charisma that makes us like Albert without asking us to - he's a man that could be your friendly neighbor, perfectly polite and mild-mannered, with a few subtle flaws that don't get in the way of wanting to get to know him. Gandolfini is a terrific choice for the role, and his easygoing chemistry with his co-star is instantly believable.

And in a career full of comedy roles (that have all been played with razor sharp comedic timing), Dreyfus takes a step back, portraying a self-aware yet vulnerable woman whose best years are behind her. Seeing Eva enjoy life again with the like-minded Albert is simply wonderful to watch, and Dreyfus gives us a reason to root for the couple even through the rough-patches.

"Enough Said" is a worthy final movie for the late, great Gandolfini, and an overall cut above the normally been-there-done-that romantic comedy genre. One of Holofcener's most enjoyable films.