In "Enough Said" we meet Eva...a divorced, needy, aimless and apparently frustrated middle-aged masseuse. She spends her days performing a job which brings her little joy while simultaneously parenting her college-bound daughter, Ellen (Tracy Faraway). At a dinner party, where she plays the role of third wheel for another couple, she meets a new client, Marianne. Marianne, played by a sleep-walking Catherine Keener, is a famous yet isolated poet who needs a new friend. Eva is happy to oblige. Meanwhile, at the same party Eva is introduced to Alfred who will become her love interest. Like her, Alfred is lonely and has an ex-wife and a college-bound daughter in tow. Unlike her, he is slightly more fulfilled in his job as a classic television program restorer and cataloguer. Cue the hilarity.
Okay...NOT! Billed as a smart "romcom" for adults, Enough Said is at best a "rom-drama." Now, this isn't to say that there aren't moments of humor. There are. Julia Louis-Dreyfus has an expressive face which serves up several chuckles in the first half of the film. However, once the oh so predictable plot twist finally occurs...and keeps twisting for the remainder of the movie!...humor is cast aside. Instead, it becomes a squirm-inducing marathon as the audience watches Eva mismanage every relationship in her life.
Meanwhile, along the way we meet other characters who are part of way too many sub-plots. Eva's best friend Sarah (well played by Toni Collette) is a therapist who at home is locked in a tug-of-war with her husband over whether or not to fire their maid; Ellen's friend Chloe (Tavi Gevinson)is misunderstood by her own mother, so Eva steps in to fill the gap; and Alfred's daughter Tess (Eve Hewson)is alternately snotty and sympathetic. Confused? I was too. By the time Enough Said ended, never have I been more surprised when I looked at my watch. With everything going on this movie, I'd though it'd been much longer than its 1 hour 33 minute run time.
Now, "Enough Said" isn't without some commendation. For his part, James Gandolfini...in what was sadly his last role...did an admirable job with his character. Alfred is sweet, patient and clumsily kind. We can't help but root for him. The same can be said for Sarah's husband, Will, played by Ben Falcone. But unfortunately any bright spots that illumine this film are overshadowed by a darker than expected plot, poor editing and a plodding music score which only adds to it's general heaviness.
In a moment of uncomfortable small talk during the film's opening dinner party scene, Eva blurts out "only ugly people here." This sentence foreshadows what comes after it, 1 1/2 hours of ugly behavior and blurred relationship boundaries. Combine that with the aforementioned editing problems and a bleak musical score, and what we have is simply a mess. Enough Said.
Okay...NOT! Billed as a smart "romcom" for adults, Enough Said is at best a "rom-drama." Now, this isn't to say that there aren't moments of humor. There are. Julia Louis-Dreyfus has an expressive face which serves up several chuckles in the first half of the film. However, once the oh so predictable plot twist finally occurs...and keeps twisting for the remainder of the movie!...humor is cast aside. Instead, it becomes a squirm-inducing marathon as the audience watches Eva mismanage every relationship in her life.
Meanwhile, along the way we meet other characters who are part of way too many sub-plots. Eva's best friend Sarah (well played by Toni Collette) is a therapist who at home is locked in a tug-of-war with her husband over whether or not to fire their maid; Ellen's friend Chloe (Tavi Gevinson)is misunderstood by her own mother, so Eva steps in to fill the gap; and Alfred's daughter Tess (Eve Hewson)is alternately snotty and sympathetic. Confused? I was too. By the time Enough Said ended, never have I been more surprised when I looked at my watch. With everything going on this movie, I'd though it'd been much longer than its 1 hour 33 minute run time.
Now, "Enough Said" isn't without some commendation. For his part, James Gandolfini...in what was sadly his last role...did an admirable job with his character. Alfred is sweet, patient and clumsily kind. We can't help but root for him. The same can be said for Sarah's husband, Will, played by Ben Falcone. But unfortunately any bright spots that illumine this film are overshadowed by a darker than expected plot, poor editing and a plodding music score which only adds to it's general heaviness.
In a moment of uncomfortable small talk during the film's opening dinner party scene, Eva blurts out "only ugly people here." This sentence foreshadows what comes after it, 1 1/2 hours of ugly behavior and blurred relationship boundaries. Combine that with the aforementioned editing problems and a bleak musical score, and what we have is simply a mess. Enough Said.