4/5 stars
“Enough Said” stars Julia Louis Dreyfus as Eva, a divorced single mother whose daughter is about to leave for college. She meets Albert (James Gandolfini), a funny, sweet aging man who is also facing the departure of his own child, and she slowly begins to fall for his honest and gratifying character. Dreyfus, coming off her Emmy win for "Veep," is sharp, witty and on top of her comedic game. It’s easy to see Eva's neuroses as she manages her job as a masseuse, a departing child and a new love.
However, Eva suddenly discovers that her patient and new friend, Marianne (Catherine Keener), is Albert’s ex-wife and that all of her disparaging complaints about her ex-husband actually refer to him. This leads down an interesting comedic path, but it also leads to inevitable heartbreak.
Director Nicole Holofcener follows the legitimate struggles of romantic and interpersonal relationships rather than solely providing the audience with romantic comedy tropes. The film begs the question— what flaws we are willing to tolerate in relationships? Eva tangles with this as she learns more and more about Albert from her patient.
Flaws are a major theme of "Enough Said." We see the characters' flaws whether in their obsession with cleanliness, their weight, their insatiable desire for change or simply their inability to buy a bedside table. No one in the film is perfect, or even near-perfect. As Robin Williams so excellently phrased it in “Good Will Hunting,” “the question is whether or not you're perfect for each other.”
“Enough Said” is emotionally satisfying in its believable portrayals of its two main characters. They could exist. In essence, they do exist and that is the film’s greatest strength. The film is an excellent romantic comedy with mesmerizing performances, heartfelt even in their slowest moments. In the wake of James Gandolfini’s death, “Enough Said” serves as the final piece of his legacy. Though famous for his portrayal of mobster Tony Soprano, Gandolfini proves in “Enough Said” that he was a complex and irrefutably talented actor. Dreyfus may be the lead, but Gandolfini’s subtle yet engaging performance as Albert captivates the audience.
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