Film: Enough Said

Yay! I finally got to see Enough Said! I saw the trailer a while ago and thought it looked good, and it had a good IMDB rating - but just not good enough that I got to see it before now. And the only reason I got to see it tonight was that art-house films don't usually screen on Fridays - probably not enough people are interested in seeing them after a week's work. So none of the films rated higher than this on my list were showing tonight, and I was free to go to this at last.

And about time too - only one cinema is still showing it in London, the Empire in Leicester Square. And wouldn't you know it, it's in Screen 6 there. Which is where I saw Milius, a while back. Notable for being complicated to find, and absolutely tiny when you get there, with a big screen. Only three rows of seating, and I wouldn't like to be in the front - but it wasn't heavily booked, so I didn't worry. Took the Piccadilly Line to Leicester Square, thus collecting the £9.80 refund that TFL owed me for overcharging me before. Really though, I do find their customer service excellent. And refunds are processed automatically when you touch in at a specified station - in my case Earl's Court, this evening.

I got there just slightly after the advertised time, and bought my ticket from the ATM, shocked to see that sales had picked up and there was now only one seat left in the back two rows - in the back corner. So I chose that and made my way upstairs - easier this time. On the way, I ran into an usher, who was most anxious to ensure that I was happily seated, but explained that she had to go find the manager about something, and to let her know if I had any problems - she seemed to think someone would appropriate my seat. No such problem occurred, although the lady in the seat beside mine had been using mine for her coat, but moved it when I arrived. I must say, the back row is definitely the best in this screen, although I did overhear an elderly woman remark to her companion afterwards that the front row, where they'd been sitting, wasn't bad at all.

Right - this film stars the late James Gandolfini, and is dedicated to him. Most famous for the tv series, The Sopranos, where he plays the head of a crime family, this apparently wasn't his last film - another of his is scheduled for release next year. Of course, he passed away of a heart attack last June, on holiday in Rome, during a heatwave. In this, he plays the unlikely role of romantic male lead in a rom-com, playing opposite someone I was sure starred in Red! but it turns out to be someone else entirely. Well, they do look alike.

So anyway, the plot basically goes that they're middle-aged divorcees, both with daughters about to leave for college, and when they meet at a party, there's an instant attraction. Toni Collette plays her friend, providing the surrogate family that she couldn't possibly be without, because then she'd be all alone, with her daughter moving away. And we can't have that in a Hollywood movie, because she's meant to be a likeable character, and they can't be all alone in the world. Catherine Keener plays James Gandolfini's ex-wife, who, coincidentally, is also his girlfriend's massage client! Cue many amusing incidents where she gives away salacious titbits of info to his new girlfriend, who realises who her client's ex-husband must be, but says nothing, because she wants all the info she can get.

This is a really good film. The script sparkles, and there's great chemistry between the leads. There are plenty of entertaining jokes about encroaching middle-age, and how irritating young people can be, and it's all done good-naturedly. The issues raised ring true, and it makes a nice change from all the romances involving twenty-somethings. There are also some interesting subplots, some involving the teens, some involving Toni Collette's maid. All-in-all, a film of much higher quality than last night's offering.

A film again tomorrow, and I spent a large amount of time deciding which. I rejected one, near the top of my list, by virtue of the fact that it's about a musician I've never heard of and am not interested in learning about. I rejected another two on the grounds of sheer weirdness - even I have my limits. And so, tomorrow seems likely to be Don Jon. Terrific! another I saw the trailer for and thought it looked good, hoping I'd get around to it. Nearest place showing it is the cinema in Westfield - I might head up there early and browse the shops, it's been ages. And with the Overground, I can be there in literally ten minutes!