Smart romantic comedies are surprisingly hard to come across these days, making Nicole Holofcener’s “Enough Said” particularly refreshing. The film employs quick, subtle humor to masterfully create realistic relationships. The late James Gandolfini and Julia Louis-Dreyfus have true chemistry as middle-aged single parents of teenagers who are preparing to leave for college. Eva (Dreyfus) is a masseuse whose clients are either whiny, unnecessarily chatty or smelly. Albert (Gandolfini) is a divorced teddy bear of a man who makes up for what he lacks in handsomeness in humor and kindness.
The two meet at a party, but the connection is not that fairytale, “I saw her across the room and knew,” click. They fall for each other slowly, and the relationship builds not on sexual attraction but on actual enjoyment of each other’s presence. They’re able to laugh about their age and their behind-the-times attitude, and they share the same fear of inevitable loneliness after their daughters leave for college.
This compatibility is the primary strength in their relationship — as the film progresses we learn that both of their previous marriages failed because they lacked this precise attribute. Eva and her ex-husband don’t have similar personalities, and Albert’s ex-wife was incapable of overlooking his flaws to keep a good relationship.
But the relationship hits a big bump when Eva, having discovered that one of her massage clients is Albert’s ex-wife, inquires what exactly it was that caused the marriage to end. Upon learning about all of Albert’s flaws (he stirs the guacamole to avoid onions, for one), she begins to find more. The little flaws she finds cover up the things about him that she originally liked, causing Albert to see parts of his ex-wife in her.
As much as the romance is idealized, you can’t help but believe in it. Eva is a regular woman, just like all of our moms, and Albert is just a realistic guy — not a Nicholas Sparks level dream man, but good enough. Set in the California suburb, the scenery is simple and pedestrian. Each of the daughters share the same attitude that many of us college students had not too long ago: they can’t wait to leave but aren’t quite ready to go. The realism present in the characters and settings allow us to fully sink into the rapid-fire banter and witty one-liners. It’s calming and unobtrusive, but also touching and brilliantly funny.
Though “Enough Said” breaks the norm of romantic comedies in the best way and is surrounded by Oscar buzz, it also serves as a great memorial to Gandolfini, who passed away four months before the release. For his family and friends, the film must be an excellent way to remember the man he was.
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