Review of Enough Said (2013) by Alice S — 06 Dec 2013

This Nicole Holofcener joint isn't deserving of all its accolades, especially since the hackneyed, mistaken-identity rom-com trope pales in comparison to the rest of Holofcener's oeuvre, which at least tackles class, gender, race, and morality issues.

Catherine Kenner is given a thankless role that never transcends its lofty-poetic-genius literary cliche. Julia Louis-Dreyfus and James Gandolfini are likable enough, but the plot forces their characters together in heavy-handed ways. Eva starts dating Albert who is the ex-husband of a new massage client, Marianne, but she keeps this revelation from both - essentially unable to resist good gossip. Marianne continually badmouths Albert's lack of adult graces; Albert continually proves Marianne's assessment; Eva continually picks at Albert for what are presented as minor nits, but for what I think are actual deal breakers for Eva.

The ruse (Greek in scope) is finally revealed in a blaze of embarrassment and hurt, but the film still hints at Eva and Albert getting back together in the end though. All in all, I'm not sure if the film has indeed said enough about anything: middle-age relationships, children of divorce, baggage of exes, the banality of strangers.