THREE AND A HALF STARS

The sudden death of actor James Gandolfini in June, three days before he was due to be honoured at an Italian film festival, adds poignancy to Nicole Holofcener’s wonderful romantic comedy.
Wearing his heart on his character’s sleeve in every frame, Gandolfini leaves us in a swoon when he sweetly confesses to his new girlfriend (Julia Louis-Dreyfus),“I kind of adore you already”.
Massage therapist Eva (Louis-Dreyfus) is separated from her husband Jason (Phillip Brock) but still lives with their beautiful daughter, Ellen (Tracey Fairaway), who is poised to fly the nest and head to college. Impending solitude sends Eva into an emotional whirl and she seeks comfort in the company of her best friend Sarah (Toni Collette), whose marriage to husband Will (Ben Falcone) is beset with the usual gripes and bickering.
They invite Eva to a party where she meets a television archivist called Albert (James Gandolfini). A nervous first date sparks tender romance that promises to blossom into something far deeper. At the same party, Eva woos a new client, a celebrated poet called Marianne (Catherine Keener), who doesn’t have a nice word to say about her ex-husband or his bizarre eating habits. Eva realises with a jolt that Marianne’s ex-husband Albert is the very same man she is dating.
Galvanised by the winning rapport of Gandolfini and Louis-Dreyfus, Enough Said is a valentine to the transformative power of love and to the film’s leading man. “For Jim” reads a simple dedication during the end credits.
Holofcener’s dialogue trips off the tongue, peppered with some great one-liners. Love hurts whether you’re an impetuous teenager or old enough to know better.