film review: Enough Said (2013)
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Young love isn’t just for the young in Nicole Holofcener’s latest, Enough Said
Watching the trailer for Enough Said, you’d be forgiven for thinking that this is some breezy light romantic comedy… and if you heard the plot, you might think it akin to something you’d see in an Adam Sandler film. Don’t let that put you off though, for all it’s slapstick comedy potential, this is an intelligent, charming flick.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus and James Gandolfini star as Eva and Albert, both divorcees in their early 50s struggling to deal with the idea of their daughters going off to college and leaving them on their own. They meet at a party and, though they both deny it, there’s an attraction. Soon they’re dating but it turns out that love in your 50s doesn’t come without baggage.
It’s a simple premise but the strength of the work here is in its total honesty. Louis-Dreyfus and Gandolfini put in two of the most genuinely touching performances I’ve seen in years. It’s fitting perhaps that Gandolfini’s last major film role was one that was so at odds with what he was known for. In Enough Said he’s a warm, kindly character, confident but sweet the same. Louis-Dreyfus is a little closer to her signature TV character but it’s far from the caricature of Elaine Benes.
Not too be overlooked are the supporting cast either. Toni Collette and Ben Falcone, parents of younger children give some insight to how Eva and Albert became divorced in the first place. Keener in particular excels as Eva’s new friend and client, a poet whose outward committment to spiritualism is betrayed by her willingness to dish the dirt on her failed relationship, even as Eva is opening up about her new one.
On the surface, this is a romantic comedy, but the loneliness and heartache of the characters is so raw that I found it quite upsetting. I’m not ashamed to say that I cried a little. But then again I’m never ashamed to say that… I cry all the time. Nonetheless, it was a little disconcerting for a film that’s a comedy, in the Shakespearean sense.
If you’re looking for a smart, entertaining yet touching look at love, you’ll be hard pressed to find a better film this year. Whether you’re lucky or unlucky in love, Enough Said should raise a wry smile and maybe even elicit a tear or two if you’re the weepy sort – like me…
8.5/10
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