We so wanted to love Enough Said, one of the late James Gandolfini’s last movies. And things do start promisingly.
This gentle, middle-class and (in the characters’ words) middle-aged rom com, written and directed by Nicole Holofcener (Friends with Money), kicks off with a sharp sense of humour – with Veep/Seinfeld’s Julia Louis-Dreyfus leading the way. Her character, Eva, is a foot-in-mouth single mother and masseuse. Life isn’t bad. She’s on good terms with her ex-husband, clients are regular, and she is close to her daughter, Ellen (Tracey Fairaway). Except Ellen is about to fly the nest for university, and Eva’s loneliness looms large.
So when Eva’s married friends Sarah (Toni Colette) and Will (Ben Falcone) take her to an upscale, stylish party, where “there might be some single men”, the plot is poised to shift gear. And sure enough, though after a faltering start – but one that sets up a nice line in deadpan banter – Eva begins dating one of the guys from the party. Albert (Gandolfini) is also a fellow divorcee and the common ground is mutually comforting: they have been there, made those mistakes and come out older, yes, but also wiser. Or, perhaps, just more cynical?
While Eva pathologically and comically tries to avoid repeating the mistakes of her failed marriage, she befriends a new client – Marianne (Catherine Keener) a glamorous poet. Eva is, inexplicably, in awe of Marianne (even though she dislikes poetry). In turn, Marianne – also divorced with a daughter poised to leave home – welcomes the company. “I’ve got no one else I can bitch to,” she says, after yet another tirade about her “overweight slob” of an ex husband. “I mean, who would date someone like that?” Yep. You guessed it: Eva, whose new flame – unknown to any of the characters – is also Marianne’s ex. But, of course, it doesn’t stay unknown for long, and it is at the point at which Eva discovers the truth that the film perhaps loses its punch.
The acting, as you’d expect with such a cast, is flawless. And where the script is witty, they make it sparkle. But Eva and Marianne’s friendship is never convincing – less convincing still is Eva’s inability to give it a wide berth when things become clear. “But I feel so pulled in, she’s like a human Trip Advisor!” Eva wails to Sarah. Equally, Colette and Falcone struggle with their casting as a rather flat stereotype of long-term marrieds.
But back to the leads: Gandolfini’s Albert, as the character himself admits, clearly is a bit of a slob – but played convincingly and with warmth. And he’s falling for Eva. But with her insider knowledge about Albert’s foibles and flaws, will Eva reciprocate? More to the point, is any of it believable enough for us to care? If this was on TV, it’d be a gentle, unchallenging treat and one that – at least for the first half an hour – raised a good few out-loud laughs. Wait for the DVD release. Watch Eva and Albert on their first date.
Words: Kate Burt
