ENOUGH SAID
US, 2013, 92 minutes, Colour.
Julia Louis- Dreyfus, James Gandolfini, Catherine Keener, Toni Collette, Ben Falcone.
Directed by Nicole Holofcener.
A film of great feeling – and feelings. This is a film for middle-aged and older audiences, characters they can be interested in, identify with in some ways, puzzle about their relationships, their handling of situations and crises. It may also be interesting for young adults who are sympathetic with their parents, perhaps puzzling over decisions they make, wondering what it is like to be 50 plus or minus.
The film has an inbuilt sympathy factor for those who know the actor James Gandolfini and his work, especially his central role in The Sopranos. He died unexpectedly of a heart attack at the age of 51 in 2013. This is his second last film.
The focus of the film is on Eva, a woman divorced for 10 years, with a daughter who is about to leave home for college. She works as a masseuse and we are introduced to her as she goes on her rounds, working with a cross-section of people, with their personal oddities, like bad breath, incessant chattering, a young man to whom it doesn’t occur to help the masseuse up the staircase with her table. At a party, she meets a woman to whom she gives a card and who later rings her for an appointment. She also meets a middle-aged man, overweight, pleasantly genial, who rings her to make a date.
Eva, the masseuse, is played by Julia Louis- Dreyfus, best remembered by older audiences for her role in the long-running television series Seinfeld and the current series, Veep. She may not be the brightest star in the firmament, but she is a sympathetic woman, doing her work, helping people, reaching out to a daughter, to her daughter’s best friend (which leads to some envy), making do with life as well as being disappointed in the failure of her marriage.
Albert, who begins to date her, is played with great sympathy by James Gandolfini, perhaps unexpected because of his best-known gangster role. However, he is a genial man, slightly embittered by the rejection of him and the constant criticism by his ex-wife (Catherine Keener). The ex-wife is the woman to whom Eva gave her card at the party. Which means some complications for Eva, especially when she becomes aware of who Albert is.
There are some amusing situations, some humorous lines, but above all, a strong rapport between Julia Louis-Dreyfus? and James Gandolfini. There are also some telling sequences as each couple has a daughter going to college.
In the background is Eva’s great friend, Sarah (Toni Collette with her Australian accent!) And her husband, played by Ben Falcone, with whom she is constantly sparring. Is this what marriage is really like!
There is gentleness and warmth in the treatment by writer-director, Nicole Holofcener, who, over the years, has made a number of brief and gentle films about relationships and, especially, about women and their lives and issues (Friends with Money, Please Give).
1. A pleasant and pleasing film? For older audiences? Middle-aged and older? Relationships, love? In a contemporary setting, the world of values and confused values?
2. The cast, playing against type? The screenplay, its humanity, humour, charm, challenge, all with the light touch?
3. The ordinary setting, the American city, homes, streets, Eva and her jobs, restaurants…?
4. The different generations? The parent generation, the children in their late teens and going to college, leaving home? The reactions and wanting to begin life? The parents and their regrets?
5. Themes of marriage, divorce, breakup and reasons, the consequences, the effect on the children? The parents sharing the children? Loyalties?
6. Eva’s story, her age, 10 years divorced, love for Ellen, her job as a masseuse, a range of clients? The man with the bad breath, the woman who talked incessantly, the young man who never thought to help Eva with her table up the steps? Their recurring appearance? The man eventually helping?
7. Eva, her friendship with Sarah, their chats, on Skype, sharing ideas? Sarah and her husband, continually criticising him, the children, the continually changing the furniture? Going out, the party, in the car, talk, the meal to meet Albert?
8. The party, Eva and seeing her client, meeting Maryanne, their talk, giving her card, the follow-up? Meeting Albert, the exchange of banter?
9. Eva and Maryanne, the massage work, their talk and friendship, a beautiful house, her being a poet, the gift of the book, the discussions, Maryanne having few friends? The continued criticism of her ex-husband? The relationship with her daughter? The talk with Eva, Eva’s gradual realisation who the ex-husband was?
10. Albert, his age, size, manner of speaking, genial? The date, the meal and their comfortable talking, frank, at ease, continued outings, going to the movies, Albert not being able to whisper quietly? His cooking his favourite meal? Love, together, the affair, the result for each of them? Ellen not meeting Albert? But Chloe at home, having the meal with Albert?
11. Eva, going to the dress shop, Chloe and her mother wearing the same dress, her knitting, the discussions with Chloe about sexual behaviour, later supporting Chloe, her mother’s anger with Eva and taking Chloe away? Eva and her mothering Chloe, conversations, offering her to stay in Ellen’s room, Ellen and her envy?
12. Albert, meeting Sarah and her husband, their talk at the table, men’s view?
13. Eva, stirring Albert, the discussions at table about the whisper, the effect on Albert, his driving her home?
14. The effect on each of them, the tension?
15. The visit to Maryanne, meeting Maryanne’s daughter, the recognition, Albert turning up, the tension and Eva’s apology? Maryanne’s amazement? The daughter reassuring Eva that her father really liked her?
16. Driving past the house, Albert saying that Eva had broken his heart? His seeing her, getting out of the car, the sitting and talking, re-establishing the bonds? A foundation for love?
17. A film about opportunities, needs, fulfilment?
