Enough Said

Gandolfini, Louis-Dreyfus exquisite in 'Enough Said'
While this is still going to be a movie review, it's also one of those rare occasions where a massive amount of bias - in this case admiration, will likely overshadow anything and everything that's said about this particular film. This is due largely to the tragic death of a man that will go down in my book (and many others) as one of the greatest actors to ever grace the big or small screen. Of course, I'm referring to James Gandolfini - a beloved individual that was taken well before his time. He was a man with immense talent that saw no bounds, starring in arguably the greatest television show of all-time, The Sopranos. But, before he starred as the loveable gangster, Tony Soprano, he made his everlasting mark in films, like Get Shorty, True Romance, and The Mexican. Since the conclusion of The Sopranos in 2007, Gandolfini took on much more reduced roles, acting in supporting roles, such as Zero Dark Thirty, Not Fade Away, and Killing Them Softly. Thankfully, in one of his...

4.5 stars--- outstanding yet bitter-sweet relationship drama
"Enough Said" (2013 release; 93 min.) brings the story of Eva (played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus), a middle-aged divorcee whose daughter is about to go off the college across the country. As the movie opens, we see Eva make house calls to her clients to provide massages. One evening, Eva tags along with her friends to a party, and there gets introduced to several people, including Albert (played by James Gandolfini), also a middle-aged and divorced (we later learn that his daughter is also about to go off to college). Eva also gets introduced to Marianne (played by Catherine Keener), a well-known poet who is lonely and hires Eva to give her massages (and bend her ear about her lousy ex). Eva and Albert go on a first date, and things are going surprisingly well. Meanwhile Eva is dealing with her daughter's pending departure. At this point we are about 30 min. into the movie, and to tell you more of the plot would surely ruin your viewing experience, you'll just have to see for yourself how...

James Gandolfini and Julia Louis-Dreyfus in Nicole's Holocener's best film yet
Nicole Holofcener has directed a handful of movies that few people have seen. They have fallen into a category of "women's movies" that most men steer clear of lest they become gay or something. I've seen them all ("Lovely & Amazing" is my favorite) and I'm still straight. And while her movies are far from terrible they are not terribly memorable either. "Enough Said" is her best feature yet and yes, it's OK for a man too.

A large part of the attraction is the late James Gandolfini who plays Albert, a bit of a slob, but funny and adorable. Albert is divorced from Marianne (Holofcener regular Catherine Keener). Together they have a daughter heading for college. Although Albert is a key character in the storyline, his counterpart, Eva (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) has multiple relationships to deal with. If you've watched Louis-Dreyfus over the years, you should be able to appreciate her dead-pan humor, much of which is displayed all over her face. That talent comes across...

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