Going into Nicole Holofcener’s Enough Said, it was impossible to ignore the fact that the film was one of the late, great James Gandolfini’s last ever. It’s a testament to the actor that while watching him in the film, his performance was so great, that during the films 90 minute run, I completely forgot that he is no longer with us. He offers a sincere performance that isn’t one of his typical type of roles, but it actually does come to fit on his tragic passing on a human level that works to great lengths.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus stars as Eva, a masseuse in Los Angeles who is divorced and very much still single. She’s about to send her daughter Ellen (Tracey Fairaway) away to college and is getting more nervous as the date approaches. One night she gets dragged to a party by her friends, a couple played by Toni Collette (sporting her Australian accent) and Ben Falcone. This is where she meets a man named Albert (James Gandolfini) who just like Eva is preparing to send his own daughter (Eve Hewson) away to school. They connect on this detail, and it prompts Albert to ask Eva out on a date. During the same party Eva meets Marianne (Catherine Keener), a prentintious poet who she eventually does massage work for and befriends.
Only Evan doesn’t know that Albert and Marianne know each other quite well, and this causes a serious problem for Eva as she slowly puts the clues together just as her and Albert’s relationship seems to be going so well. This all comes at a bad time as Eva is struggling to figure out how to say goodbye to her daughter, all while her daughters friend Chloe (Tavi Gevinson) seems to need a mom more than ever.
Holofcener, who also wrote the script, does a solid job balancing heart and humor allowing for the characters to shine at you in multiple angles. The film is anchored by the chemistry between Julia Louis-Dreyfus and James Gandolfini. Of course, we will always remember Gandolfini as Tony Soprano, but he gives a sensitive sweet performance as Albert, a man who is just looking to find someone right to settle down. He thinks that Eva is the one, but she’s got her own set of issues that get in the way. Louis-Dreyfus is equally endearing, finding ways to keep you laugh while also hitting you emotionally.
Enough Said tackles a few issues, but no more important than figuring out who you are late and life, and trying to find a partner who will make you better in life as well. It’s not the performance that we would have expected to be one of the final from Gandolfini, but Enough Said hits home on some crucial life points that become more relevant with Gandolfini’s passing in mind. The duo of Gandolfini and Louis-Dreyfus make the film worth watching above all. Jim is simply one of a kind.
Join the conversation