I am happy to report that the worst part of writer/director Nicole Holofcener’s Enough Said is its lazy title. The rest of this romantic dramedy, starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus and James Gandolfini as middle-aged divorcees who are falling for one another, is a real treat full of gentle laughs, genuine storytelling, and fantastic acting.
Eva (Louis-Dreyfus) is a talented masseuse getting a little bit tired of her ungrateful client base. She has a loving relationship with her daughter who’s heading off to her freshman year at Sarah Lawrence. Eva’s friend Sarah (Toni Collette, delightful Aussie accent in full swing) convinces her to attend a party where she not only meets a potential new client in poet Marianne (Catherine Keener) but also a charming love interest in Albert (Gandolfini). Eva’s budding romance with Albert imbues her with all sorts of confidence and she speaks wonders of him to new best friend Marianne while they hang out, even if Marianne’s constantly whining about her own ex-husband. And in classic Shakespearean fashion, it turns out Marianne is complaining about none other than Albert so that Eva is left to decide whether to break it off with her friend, her lover, both, or neither.
The cast has a grand time acting out the minute dramas present in Enough Said and they, along with Holofcener’s directing seem, treat each set piece like a tiny play. The director and actor combination also keeps the lighthearted story buoyant with rapid-fire dialogue and bouncy pacing. Speaking of the dialogue, it’s so wonderfully refreshing to hear words and phrases that real human beings actually say and use in conversation, particularly about relationships between friends and lovers. There’s no melodrama or contrivance (other than the inciting coincidence) and you’re left thinking what laughs and revelations the next scene will bring with it.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus is adorable as the ebullient but ever-so-slightly insecure Eva as she weighs her precarious decision to secretly befriend Marianne and jeopardize her relationship. But it’s Gandolfini as Albert, in the type of role you’ve never seen him perform, who absolutely steals the show. Both an affable teddy bear of a man and a sensible, confident aging bachelor, Gandolfini displays a range of emotion that is deliberate and heartfelt. Hell, I almost wanted to date the guy. Suffice it to say, this may be James Gandolfini’s finest, most nuanced role and unfortunately one of his final.
Enough Said manages to teach some life lessons and speak minor truths about growing up, moving on, and truly loving someone. It’s never heavy-handed, instead keeping to tiny little bits of advice and wisdom that come across very naturally. There’s no preaching here; there’s only a handful of multi-faceted, generally good-hearted people navigating life before and after love. The actors relish their time on screen and embody real, lovable, fallible characters. And the story is as enjoyable as it is compact.
Rating: Enough Said is a warm, rewarding look at relationships between family, friends, and lovers that offers as many laughs as it does poignant messages. (9/10)
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