One of the last films James Gandolfini completed before he passed was the heartwarming romantic dramedy Enough Said, which was directed by Nicole Holofcener. In the film, Julia Louis-Dreyfus plays Eva, a masseuse and divorced mom who one night meets Albert (Gandolfini), a funny fellow divorcé, at a party and the two like-minded individuals seem to connect. Eventually, the two go out on a date and Eva decides to give Albert a shot since he seems to be a really great guy. At the same party where she met Albert, Eva also met a poet named Marianne (Catherine Keener) who soon becomes Eva’s latest client and eventual friend. During their time together Marianne is constantly complaining about her ex-husband, whom they share a child with, and Eva soon realizes that Marianne is Albert’s ex-wife, leaving Eva in a tricky and unique situation but also causing her to question everything about the two people, especially her new love interest Albert.
Naturally, when Eva eventually realizes that her new friend Marianne is actually the ex-wife of her new boyfriend Albert, she starts to dig deeper and see if her first impressions are off or if Marianne’s perception of Albert is accurate. Eva ends up treating Marianne like a human trip advisor in order to protect herself from falling for someone that may hurt her. Obviously you know where this is going to go and what kind of serious problem it will cause which is why, from an audience’s perspective, it’s both heartbreaking and frustrating since we really want to see this sweet relationship continue to blossom.
While this conflict is inevitable, we don’t find out about this unfortunate coincidence until roughly 45 minutes into the film, which means up until then all we get are great laughs thanks to either witty dialogue or some serious awkwardness. The entire film moves rather briskly and Holofcener doesn’t allow for any boring downtime, rather making every scene feel both important or, at the very least, enjoyable in some way. It’s the concise and no frills nature of the film that allows it to stay focused and character driven for its entire 93 minute duration.
The cast seems to be having a great time with the film as the chemistry and performances seem almost effortless. Part of this has to do with just how great each actor is and how well the script is written while the other part has to do with the great directorial hand of Nicole Holofcener and her approach to telling a story that feels real and not bubbly like other rom-coms. It’s this honest approach by everyone involved that helps make the film feel less like a movie and more like a Broadway show, like these characters actually exist and are working through their daily struggles.
Enough Said may not be an Academy Awards contender this year but it hasn’t been overlooked by the critics nor other awards shows and it certainly isn’t a film that should be left at the wayside when 2013 is long and gone. As time passes and the pool of divorcees continues to grow, Enough Said will be the one film that many middle-aged divorcees can relate to as it shows the down-to-earth aspect of taking a second chance at love with the bonus of having some really good laughs thanks to Eva and Albert’s attempt to become something more than just acquaintances.
Movie rating: A truly adult romantic dramedy that’s heartwarming, sweet, and very down-to-earth (8/10)
Because it’s a character driven story, Enough Said isn’t the type of film you need to see or buy on Blu-ray, it’s just a film that you need to see and possibly own in any format you see fit. Id’ probably opt for the DVD because I save Blu-rays for films with a sense of style or has great effects.
As for the special features, the Blu-ray comes with the following:
-Theatrical Trailer
-Second Takes – Six minutes of funny outtakes and bloopers
-Promotional Featurettes : Cast, Story, Meet Eva and Albert, Nicole Holofcener, Julia
Blu-ray rating: 5.5/10
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