|
Enough Said
| Released |
18 October 2013 |
| Director |
Nicole Holofcener |
Starring
|
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, James Gandolfini, Catherine Keener, Toni Collette, Ben Falcone, Eve Hewson, Tavi Gevinson |
| Writer(s) |
Nicole Holofcener |
| Producer(s) |
Stefanie Azpiazu, Anthony Bregman |
| Origin |
United States |
| Running Time |
93 minutes |
| Genre |
Comedy |
| Rating |
12A |
|
|
Something to talk about.
Enough Said, from writer/director Nicole Holofcener, arrives onto cinema screens under a bittersweet fog. While not quite James Gandolfini’s screen swan song (his last film, Animal Rescue is still to come), it is the first to be released since his tragic death in June. The fact that the film is a sweet and intelligent romantic comedy and that his performance is a million miles from the hard-bitten roles that he will most likely be remembered for, makes it even more significant; a reminder of Gandolfini’s charm, talent and versatility.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus stars as Eva, a divorced mother of one who works as a masseuse. Although she is cynical about the idea of resurrecting her love life, her daughter is soon leaving for college and she knows she will feel the loss keenly. At a party, she is introduced to divorced father of one, Albert (Gandolfini). While they both immediately profess not to be attracted to each other, they do have a connection and decide to go on a date. An unexpected relationship blossoms between the two but is soon tested when Eva discovers that her new massage client and friend is in fact Albert’s ex wife Marianne (Catherine Keener).
If this sounds a little too coincidental to be believable, well, you’re probably right. Fortunately I was enjoying myself far too much to care. The soapy scenario is elevated by Holofcener’s wonderfully witty and beautifully observed script about the difficulties of starting again and learning to accept each others imperfections. Louis-Dreyfus is fantastic - her boundless charisma and talent for both one-liners and physical comedy make Eva a funny, fallible, real woman. Her relationship with Albert feels just as real. Louis-Dreyfus and Gandolfini expertly navigate their awkward delight as they tentatively give relationships a second try. Around this central pairing are other casting gems - Toni Collette and Ben Falcone as Eva’s married friends Sarah and Will share acerbic barbs while Keener is a treat as a wealthy poet who casually drops her friendship with Joni Mitchell into conversations.
So while Enough Said will inevitably (and rightfully) attract attention for Gandolfini’s performance, it is notable for much more. I thoroughly enjoyed my time in the company of the film.
-
Linda O’Brien |
