REVIEW: Go see ‘Enough Said’
Go see “Enough Said.” If you want to learn a little bit about it, feel free to keep reading.
Eva (Julia Louis-Dreyfuss) is an independent masseuse who goes to a party and picks up a new client, Marianne (Catherine Keener). She also meets Albert (James Gandolfini) and has an awkward conversation with him about physical attraction. Later, Albert gets her number and they start seeing each other. Then things get interesting.
That’s all I can really say, due to the nature of the story.
“Enough Said” is a perfect date movie. There’s humor and romance, and it’s all kept within the realm of possibilities. There’s a good deal of drama, but it isn’t over-the-top, as you may expect.
The movie is full of plain and simple fun. It talks about a plethora of subjects, including family and friend relationships, kids moving to college, divorce and love.
“Enough Said” felt like it could have been happening somewhere in the world right now. It felt real. Sure, the movie was full of actors, but it was as if they were normal, regular people.
It’s a charming movie. Part of the charm came from the significant absence of music. Music was used to transition scenes and set the stage for montages, but it was rarely used. It added to the realism of the film.
Life lessons also add to the charm. Initially, Eva isn’t attracted to Albert due to his physical appearance, but that changes as she gets to know him. It’s great to see that attitude in a film when many movies put so much more emphasis on looks than personality.
Louis-Dreyfuss and Gandolfini had a natural chemistry on screen. It was as if they lived in my neighborhood.
As with any comedy, I was nervous about the execution of the humor. It never felt forced or fake. As in life, there were obvious and subtle elements of humor. It was presented brilliantly.
There are no stunts or special effects in the movie, which also shows the enjoyable simplicity of the story.
There may be one or two elements that seem unrealistic, but truth is stranger than fiction, so maybe the situations depicted happened to someone, somewhere, at sometime.
Louis-Dreyfuss will always be known for her part as Elaine in the television series “Seinfeld,” and I saw a number of similarities between Elaine and Eva. However, there were enough differences to highlight Louis-Dreyfuss’ personality and clearly separate her two characters.
Gandolfini, who passed away in June, is famous for his role as Tony Soprano in the HBO series “The Sopranos.” I never saw the show, but based on what I heard and read, he was a tough guy. In “Enough Said,” he’s a softhearted father trying to figure out where his life is going.
This is a great movie that’s worth your money. Go see it this week. Enough said.
-Spencer Palmer is a graduate student working toward an MBA with a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering. Email him at spencer.palmer@aggiemail.usu.edu or visit his website, themovieknight.wordpress.com.