Ten Stars or Less

run time: 93 mins
rating: PG-13
considered: Comedy
starring: Julia Louis-Dreyfus, James Gandolfini, Catherine Keener, Tracey Fairaway, Toni Collette, Ben Falcone

movie summary: A divorced woman who decides to pursue the man she’s interested in learns he’s her new friend’s ex-husband. (www.imdb.com)

my thoughts: Enough Said would be the perfect romantic comedy for anyone who has been through a divorce, have kids going off to college/university, or is over 40.

Eva (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) is a divorced mid 40’s year old massage therapist who lives in Los Angeles. Eva’s life is very routine, she visits clients all day and then helps her daughter pack for college. One night she gets dragged to a party by her best friend where she meets two people who will change her life.

First, Eva meets Marianne (Catherine Keener) who becomes a new client. After a brief introduction through mutual friends, she meets Albert (James Gandolfini). After locking eyes on each other, they both proclaim that they are not attracted to anyone at the party.

Within days Albert asks Eva out to dinner. Albert is a friendly guy who spends all night making her laugh. They discuss their marriages, divorces, and their daughters who are both leaving in the fall for college. Things progress slowly for them, but a relationship does blossom after more dates.

During massage appointments, Eva has to listen to her clients complain about every aspect of their lives, and Marianne is no exception. She spends the whole time complaining about her fat ex-husband, who was a slob, disorganized, and a pain in the ass to problem solve with. As the weeks pass by, Eva starts to realize that Albert is Marianne’s ex-husband!

One night at a friend’s dinner party Eva gets really drunk and teases Albert all night. He handles it the best he can, but tells her she was acting like his ex-wife. Their relationship slowly falls apart, but the best is yet to come. During one of Marianne’s therapy sessions, Alberta shows up to pick up their daughter and finds Eva there. This awkward moment leads to the end of their relationship and heart-break for everyone.

Within weeks of the break up, the girls leave for college, and both Eva and Albert are home alone. They try to move on with their lives, but miss the connection they once had. Eva finally gets the courage to go over to Albert’s and talk. After a few jokes and laughs, the pair seem ready to start over at square one.

James Gandolfini plays a fantastic chubby divorced regular guy compared to his past as a mafia tough guy. He is full of jokes that makes everyone laugh out loud. The story is very cliché, but their acting chemistry and connection is worth the watch. Together they prove that a second chance at love can still be powerful and amazing.

my rating: 6 out 10