Early buzz for Enough Said (a rom-com for adults) has touted James Gandolfini, playing a divorced, soon-to-be empty-nester against type. He’s charming and funny, exactly what you’d expect. What’s more, Julia Louis-Dreyfus gets to headline a movie—which she pulls off winningly. She’s a classic screwball heroine on TV, a Carole Lombard for our times, but she tones it down here, doesn’t push for laughs. She doesn’t need to. Beyond our two leads, Nicole Holofcener’s movie feels truthful but can also be vague, from the generic title to the script’s characterizations, which don’t give Louis-Dreyfus or Gandolfini much life beyond what we see. They are defined by their neuroses (her lack of friends, his weight), their jobs, and their exes. There are piquant hints of meanness: she calls Gandolfini “fat” to her friends, and talks about lowering his calorie intake over dinner. But the two leads are instantly likable, more than Catherine Keener’s one-note judgmental best-friend/ex-wife. Why listen to her complain about Gandolfini when, clearly, he just wants a big hug?
Feature Attractions
Boston Theater Reviews for Talkin’ Broadway.com
Beautiful: The Carole King Musical (National Tour, 1/30/19)
The Wolves (Lyric Stage 1/16/19)
A Doll’s House, Part 2 (Huntington 1/9/19)
Macbeth and Equivocation (Actors’ Shakespeare Project 10/12-10/13/18)
Les Liaisons Dangereuses (Central Square 6/7/18)
Much Ado about Nothing (Actors’ Shakespeare Project 4/14/18)
Skeleton Crew (Huntington 3/7/18)
Bedlam’s Sense & Sensibility (A.R.T. 12/13/17)
The 39 Steps (Moonbox 11/19/17)
Julius Caesar (Actors’ Shakespeare Project 11/18/17)
A Guide for the Homesick (Huntington 10/18/17)
Exit the King (Actors’ Shakespeare Project 9/15/17)
Men on Boats (SpeakEasy 9/10/17)
Hedwig and the Angry Inch (National Tour 5/31/17)
A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Actors’ Shakespeare Project 5/18/17)
The Bridges of Madison County (SpeakEasy 5/10/17)
Topdog/Underdog (Huntington 3/19/17)
Edward II (Actors’ Shakespeare Project 2/25/17)
Something Rotten! (National Tour 1/18/17)
How Soft the Lining (Bad Habit 11/10/16)
Hamlet (Actors’ Shakespeare Project 10/13/16)
Significant Other (SpeakEasy 9/18/16)
A Man of No Importance (Bad Habit 8/11/16)
Show Boat (Fiddlehead 6/23/16)
The Wild Party (Moonbox 4/17/16)
That Time the House Burned Down (Fresh Ink 4/13/16)
Speech and Debate (Bad Habit 4/1/16)