The other night, I got to see an advanced screening of the movie Enough Said through a media/press pass. It was brilliant to be able to glide past the line of the “public” waiting to get in and to just give my name when I entered the uber cool Coolidge Corner Theater. The advanced screening was a part of the Independent Film Festival Boston – I did not know this existed! Usually, they have a special guest from the movie, but this time, we just had a rep from IFFBoston. He was still cool!
I didn’t realize that this movie was an independent film because of the two main stars – Julia Louis-Dreyfus and James Gandolfini. I think this was the last movie that he made before James Gandolfini died. So sad.
I grabbed my popcorn and water and settled in (no previews with advanced screenings – it was kind of nice!). I didn’t read much about the movie before I saw it and did not watch any trailers. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, but I found myself laughing out loud, totally relating, and even tearing up big time.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus plays Eva who is a divorced single parent and Gandolfini plays Albert who is also a divorced single parent. They meet and strike up a relationship, but they both come with lots of baggage that makes things complicated.
As I watched this movie, I could see how they (Eva & Albert) both got to where they were in their first marriages and the reality and truth of how difficult marriage is and that sometimes, some couples are just not meant to be. I was also excited for both of the characters as they started their relationship together – a second chance! Then, it reminded me that we all bring so much baggage and that the second chance is also wrought with the frailty that comes from protecting your heart the second time around.
It’s definitely a movie for the grown up set – a romantic comedy made up of a second chance in the midst of letting go. The dialogue is wonderfully written with a bit of corniness that maybe only someone over 40 would really laugh out loud at. (I’m not quite 40, but I was still laughing out loud.) I loved seeing Julia Louis-Dreyfus and James Gandolfini together – it was a believable and nice pairing.
It’s also a movie that I would watch again and pay full price for. So go out, find your nearest theater, and go watch Enough Said.