Enough Said

A romantic comedy about divorcees in their 50s probably has little appeal for most UrbanWire readers. Unless your parents are in that situation, or if you adore the Emmy – and Golden Globe – winning work of Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Veep and Seinfeld) and the late James Gandolfini (The Sopranos), who died in June.

Their latest movie Enough Said, a familiar expression usually shortened to ’nuff said, questions the distance our obsession with peer reviews would go. In this case, would you choose a future life partner because of your peers?

“She’s like a human TripAdvisor,” says masseuse Eva (Louis-Dreyfus) of her client Marianne (Catherine Keener), a poet who can’t seem to stop bitching about her “slob” of an ex-husband Albert (Gandolfini).

The rather predictable complication of Eva just happens to begin with her dating and falling for Albert, without Marianne’s knowledge, and she eventually  finds herself looking out for the flaws she’s now privy to, such as his clumsy and repulsive lovemaking and his cheating on diets.

As cliché as it sounds, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. In this case, “treasure” takes on a larger-than-life form (literally) of Albert who, despite being nothing like your typical Prince Charming, manages to win Eva (and viewers) over with his witty antics. Giving casual remarks such as “It’s Sunday. I like to be comfortable,” to Eva’s awkward stare at his pajamas on their afternoon date tells viewers how tongue-in-cheek Albert can be.

Soon enough, Eva and Albert cozy up, though the odd pairing will make you cringe and adore them all at once. The common banter exchanged between the newfound lovebirds is so natural – the chemistry comes alive and makes this pair a hit to watch. In a scene over breakfast, Eva jokingly teases her beau if he was “neglected as a kid” due to his impressive memory of television lineups back in the day. “No, I was kind of raised like a veal. I was put in a dark room and fed and told not to move,” he’ll claim. Eva unknowingly picks on him at times, quipping she’ll get him a calorie book. Well, his answer certainly gives viewers a good laugh – “Why do I feel like I just spent the evening with my ex-wife?”

Things, however, take a sticky turn when Eva finally lets the cat out of the bag.

With the duo’s relationship slowly being “poisoned” by Marianne’s words, Eva struggles with yet another goodbye when her daughter, Ellen (Tracey Fairaway) leaves home for college, a topic relatable to many.

Like previous films about “plus-sized” love affairs, Bridget Jones’s Diary and Shallow Hal, this film strikes a chord with viewers as it taps on the question: What happens if love comes to you flawed?

With size being an important criterion, Eva initially hesitates to give Albert a chance at all.

Taking a jab at today’s looks-obsessed society in a light-hearted manner, the movie portrays how shallow-minded one can become, while letting viewers be reminded that love is more than skin-deep.

Enough Said not only takes a break from Hollywood’s typical pairing of good-looking actors, it’ll make you roll around in laughter with the flirty comments and sexual puns. However, with a whit too many of these innuendos (for instance, Albert asks if Eva’s able to breathe during their make-out session or when he embarrassingly forgets to zip his pants in front of her), at times make the story stray into tasteless territory.

Director-writer Nicole Holofcener, no stranger to romcoms, having directed popular television series Sex and the City (4 episodes) and Gilmore Girls (1 episode), gives her the knack in brilliant comedy scripting. Previous films she immersed her writing into included Friends with Money (starring Jennifer Aniston and Catherine Keener) about the former’s wary friendship with her rich pals after quitting her high-end job. Holofcener’s films have been remarkably apt, with the skill to nip the storyline in the bud.

Thankfully, Enough Said for the most part resonates well with anyone who’s down in love, and wants to diss their ex. A takeaway point is the confidence Eva and Albert gain in moving on from their own broken marriages. With a leap of faith to fall in love again, this romcom shows that life’s all about giving and accepting second chances.

Rating: 3.5/5
Release Date: Nov 7
Runtime: 93 minutes
Language: English
Censorship rating: PG-13
Genre: Comedy
Director: Nicole Holofcener
Main Actors: Julia Louis-Dreyfus, James Gandolfini, Catherine Keener