Enough Said has hung on in New York City theaters for four months, and for four months I’ve been avoiding it, mainly because I’ve never been a fan of James Gandolfini (RIP), I’ve come to despise Catherine Keener, I’ve never felt one way or the other about Julia Louis Dreyfus, and although Nicole Holofcener did make Walking and Talking (a semi-classic from the 1990s Indie Renaissance) back in 1996, her latest stuff (Friends With Money and Please Give) has been pretty horrible. But on a plane back from Christmas holiday Enough Said was the most promising option, and thus it finally got its Irreviews moment.

On the Enough Said movie poster, A.O. Scott is quoted as saying “Line for line, scene for scene, it is one of the best-written American film comedies in recent memory.” I definitely do not agree with this, but even if I did it would mainly reflect the piss-poor quality of current film writing in general. Enough Said is a well-conceived little film which is smartly written and even a bit moving at times, but it’s far from spectacular. It’s not super funny (smiles and chuckles, nothing more,) its ideas are not terrifically interesting, and its emotional content dissipates quickly once the film is over. The dialog ranges from decent to somewhat above average, is a tad on the empty side, and while it’s always dignified, for every good moment there at least one hum-drum moment. Character development is a little sketchy across the board, with the supporting roles quite hazy and one-dimensional. It may be better written than most comedies, but only because most modern comedies are sub-moronic.

With that said, I still enjoyed Enough Said quite a bit. It’s a good-natured film with heart, and James Gandolfini is surprisingly winning and lovable as the unlikely object of Julia Louis Dreyfus’ mid-life affections. In this his last film appearance, he suddenly seemed to break into exciting new territory, showing a superb leading presence in heartfelt romantic comedy; I could have watched him in a lot more roles like this, instead of his usual typecasting as a pinched-up little thug. Julia Louis Dreyfus was quite good in the central role, and she and Gandolfini had good chemistry; even though her performance occasionally feels a touch hammed-up, you still emotionally connect with her and with them as a couple. All the supporting performances are solidly good. The movie has a pleasing flow to it, and it has a good score, used very effectively.

I would recommend Enough Said. Its incredible four-month run at Angelika is finally over, but it’s still hanging on at the Village East, if you want to see it.