ENOUGH SAID
Starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus, James Gandolfini, Catherine Keener
Directed Nicole Holofcener
With all due respect to Sunday's tasteful tribute at the Emmy's, it's the latest awkward dramedy from Nicole Holofcener (Please Give) that'll really have you mourning the loss of James Gandolfini. Demonstrating Gandolfini's ability to deliver a devastating performance without the benefit of any explosive outbursts, the film confirms that there was life after Tony Soprano for the actor. Consequently, there's an air of tragedy to a film that otherwise frequently flirts with farce.
Exhibiting both magnetism and comic chops, Gandolfini plays Albert, a self-avowed slob who has managed to catch the eye of Eva (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), a masseuse who's similarly divorced. Actually, caught the ear might be more accurate, as he quite literally talks her into being attracted to him. Unfortunately for (and unbeknownst to) Albert, Eva has also recently made the acquaintance of his ex-wife (Catherine Keener), who's an open book when it comes to his lesser qualities. Her cutting words quickly scrape the bloom off the rose for Eva.
Fortunately, Enough Said is a considerably more subtle undertaking than such a contrived set-up would suggest. As with her previous films, Holofcener demonstrates a deft touch with penning sharp dialogue and an aptitude for crafting complex relationships between characters who are imperfect for each other. Such is the case in the burgeoning, bumpy romance between Eva and Albert, in which exhilaration and reluctance compete for dominion and her neediness is counterpointed by his disinterest in impressing anyone. In turn, Holofcener strides the line between absurdity and authenticity, delivering a tightly scripted film that nevertheless seems to unfold with the unpredictability of our own lives.
