Enough Said

Enough Said

Overall rating: 4.5 stars

As a rich, droll look at more mature relationships, Enough Said is a step above most of the films of its discredited calibre, with genuinely poignant moments and two brilliant leads at its heart.

Enough Said features James Gandolfini in one of his final roles and, alongside the equally excellent Julia Louis-Dreyfus, its a role which seems to be the polar opposite of Tony Soprano; he's sweet, gentle and openly vulnerable. This plays a key part in the film's premise: Louis-Dreyfus is Eva, a single, divorced mother who is struggling to come to terms with her daughter's imminent departure to college. She then meets Gandolfini's Albert and it's an instant match - of course, there's a hitch and I won't spoil it, but it makes for some very interesting stuff. The entire film is a very respectful look at how age can affect relationships (something rarely explored in the tired rom-com genre) and it feels very fresh.

I'd say there's more weight on the romance/drama (similar to last year's Silver Linings Playbook), but the film is peppered with small doses of sly humour - which succeed mainly to Louis-Dreyfus's comedic talents. The two leads are undoubtedly the reason to see the film: they make an (on first inspection) unlikely paring believable, with subtle charm and a weirdly crooked sense of knowing. 

It moves past the fluffy and schmaltzy works that have riddled romantic comedies in the past, instead deciding to focus on real-life problems which are sometimes tough to tackle. This is an excellent decision, as it feels so true to life and realistic that its hard to argue with the films logic.

All in all, (to quote Rotten Tomatoes) Enough Said is bittersweet, as it shows us how much of a talent Gandolfini really was - so diverse and able to immerse himself into his character. Louis-Dreyfus brings out the best in him too, resulting in a rather wonderful picture.