Enough Said (2013)

Rating: 3.5/5

The premise of Enough Said felt vaguely familiar to me as I watched it unravel, but I couldn't figure out if and when I had witnessed it before. It is a premise - that could be handled in a few different ways to various degrees of comic effect - in which a divorced, middle-aged woman starts dating a divorced, middle-aged man, only to discover he was formerly married to a friend of hers, who does nothing but slate him in long, reminiscent rants. This story could have played out in crude humour, with the friend finding the couple in some compromising position, and as many sex scenes as the writers could dream up. Instead, it is constructed with easy, laid-back giggles here and there, amongst what is a vaguely amusing coincidence, handled in entirely the wrong way by the divorced, middle-aged woman.

Said woman is Eva (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), a happy-enough masseuse whose world is gently crumbling as her beloved daughter packs up to leave for college. Her new client is resentful poet Marianne (Catherine Keener), who quickly befriends Eva as she "has no friends...except Joni Mitchell." Eva is just the ear she needs to vent all of her spite against her former husband Albert, whose petty grievances she turns into horrifically exaggerated woes.

At the same party at which she first meets Marianne, Eva is also introduced to...Albert (the late James Gandolfini in his second-to-last film role), whose casual and friendly humour charms her, and they begin to bond over their impending Empty Nest Syndrome, as his (less likable) daughter is also leaving for college.

Of course, as Eva and Albert's relationship progresses, there is a point at which she realises just who she has been dating, and from there starts the journey of varyingly funny incidents that lead to the whole situation being revealed to all. This journey is mainly consistent of Eva humiliating the insanely adorable Albert and pulling a wide range of unattractive, bony-faced grimaces in uncomfortable situations.

I thought the overall comic flow of the movie was interrupted by too-effective drama. It is easier to appreciate the humour if the downtime is light, but the scenes that were not funny were quite emotionally involving - more so for parents, I suspect - dealing with some rather daunting and depressing issues for parents as their children grow up. This engaging material left a rather sombre aftertaste, denying me the chance to really appreciate the comedy.

Though performances are good, the star of the show is definitely the late James Gandolfini, whose recent sudden death shocked the industry, and left many former co-stars grieving. His Albert is among the most lovable movie characters I have seen in a long while. His simple, honest manner and shy likability radiate as he drops fresh, casual humour. It made the drama all the more depressing to know that this 'gentle giant,' this absolute teddy bear, is no longer with us. But he is the movie's main source of all that is good: love, warmth, compassion and common sense!

Enough Said is not a laugh-a-minute, fast-paced comedy-machine type production. It is produced with care, character development, and attention to even the 'boring details,' like Eva's relationship with her daughter, whose friend seems to grab more of Eva's attention than she does. It is light comedy, with a nicely portrayed story, meant to wash over you in a calming motion. If nothing else, see it for Gandolfini. His performance is wonderful.