Enough Said

Enough Said follows Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ Eva as she meets and begins dating James Gandolfini’s Albert, with complications ensuing as Eva realizes that she’s simultaneously befriended Albert’s ex-wife (Catherine Keener’s Marianne). It’s a rather odd premise that is, for the most part, employed to compulsively watchable effect by writer/director Nicole Holofcener, as the filmmaker does a superb job of initially establishing and developing the two central characters – with the strength of both Louis-Dreyfus and Gandolfini’s work here going a long way towards immediately capturing the viewer’s interest. The movie improves substantially once the protagonists embark on their tentative relationship, with the palpable chemistry between Louis-Dreyfus and Gandolfini heightening the effectiveness of their scenes together. (The fledgling couple’s first date, for example, is just as sweet and appealing as one might’ve hoped.) Holofcener’s low-key sensibilities pave the way for a seriously low-key (yet always entertaining) midsection, and it’s worth noting, too, that Holofcener handles the reveal of Eva’s duplicity with a subtlety that’s certainly appreciated (ie it’s not as brazenly melodramatic as it could’ve been). The inclusion of a few genuinely emotional moments within the film’s final stretch, coupled with a completely satisfying conclusion, confirms Enough Said‘s place as an engaging, affable piece of work, with the movie’s almost excessively subdued atmosphere ultimately preventing it from reaching the heights of Holofcener’s last effort (2010’s stellar Please Give).

*** out of ****