Julia Louis-Dreyfus
James Gandolfini
Catherine Keener
Toni Collette
Ben Falcone

Nicole Holofcener

93 mins.
Comedy, Drama, Romance
October 11, 2013

Rated PG-13 for crude and sexual content, comic violence, language and partial nudity. (MPAA)

“Enough Said,” written and directed by Nicole Holofcener, is an easygoing, enjoyable romantic comedy that rests largely on the shoulders of Julia Louis-Dreyfus. That’s a good thing. Louis-Dreyfus does everything that she’s known for: She’s funny in a seemingly genuine way; she’s awkward yet endearing; and she’s comfortable with being vulnerable (she has a couple of crying scenes that are pitch-perfect).

She plays Eva, a masseuse who, at a party, separately meets a poetess and a divorced father who has a college-bound daughter. Marianne, the poetess, is played by the ever-dependable Catherine Keener, who’s starred in all five of Holofcener’s feature films; and Albert, the father, is played by a wonderfully gentle James Gandolfini, in one of his final film roles.

As a divorcée with a college-bound daughter herself, Eva finds that she has a lot in common with Albert and finds herself becoming more and more attracted to him. Also, she develops a friendship with Marianne during her time as Marianne’s masseuse. Marianne has no friends to vent to, so Eva fits the bill. But here’s the problem: Marianne loves to trash her ex-husband. These three characters have what may or may not be a surprising connection that puts Eva in a bind, a rather large one at that.

There are two other storylines: Eva’s changing relationship with her daughter that’s complicated by her daughter’s best friend (who likes to confide in Eva, instead of in her own mother), and Eva’s relationship with her best friend who has a marriage that has its fair share of problems (especially in regards to the couple’s maid, who doesn’t put things back in the right places). Toni Collette (Yay!) plays Eva’s best friend and is actually allowed to speak in her native Australian dialect.

All of the storylines aren’t necessary – especially the one involving her daughter’s best friend, which seems a bit out of place – but the characters are watchable in an unforced way. Even when they were being annoying, I didn’t dislike them for it. I didn’t mind hanging out with these people, even in their less than stellar moments.

Holofcener did a great job of allowing the actors to own their characters, and every actor was casted perfectly, including the bit roles. Plus, the blend of scripted dialogue and improvisation was just right.

“Enough Said” isn’t a perfect film, but it feels right. It’s a nice bit of light entertainment, which seems to be hard to find nowadays.

Verdict: Very Good

About: (Source: enoughsaid)

A divorced and single parent, Eva (Julia Louis Dreyfus) spends her days enjoying work as a masseuse but dreading her daughter’s impending departure for college. She meets Albert (James Gandolfini) – a sweet, funny and like-minded man also facing an empty nest.  As their romance quickly blossoms, Eva befriends Marianne (Catherine Keener), her new massage client. Marianne is a beautiful poet who seems “almost perfect” except for one prominent quality: she rags on her ex-husband way too much. Suddenly, Eva finds herself doubting her own relationship with Albert as she learns the truth about Marianne’s Ex.  ENOUGH SAID is a sharp, insightful comedy that humorously explores the mess that often comes with getting involved again.