Enough Said (and other movies)

Enough Said:

Out of the movies that I've seen over the last month and a half, the best by far was Enough Said.  It's the story of Albert and Eva, both of whom are previously divorced.  They meet at a party, hit it off, and begin seeing each other. 

Eva's a masseuse, and one of her clients is Marianne.  Marianne's a poet and a bit of a free spirit, and she and Eva strike up a friendship.  She doesn't have anything good to say about her ex, and Eva's all ears, but things become complicated when Eva figures out that Marianne is Albert's ex-wife.

I have to recommend Enough Said because I felt like it was a realistic romantic comedy.  Eva's a bit oblivious to certain realities (for example, that it might be hurtful to her daughter that Eva's getting really chummy with her daughter's best friend) and starts to see some of Albert's habits as flaws after hanging around with Marianne.  Gandolfini's Albert is very vulnerable.  It's obvious that his habits (however innocuous) annoyed Marianne to no end, and that they just weren't a match, but Eva seems to take her word as gospel and sees flaws that may not even really be flaws. 

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Other films I've recently seen:

The Spectacular Now

This is a solid teen-romance film, and an opposites-attract teen-romance film.  Miles Teller gives a very John Cusack like performance as Sutter, a high-schooler who carries around a flask and is very much about the present (to the detriment of any future he might have).  Sharlene Woodley (The Descendants and the upcoming Divergent movie) as Aimee is a very naïve and innocent girl who falls for Sutter, who continues his self-destructive behavior even after they start dating.  It's easy to dislike Sutter, but throughout there's a sense that there's a decent guy underneath all the trouble.  It's also easy to see why Sutter is the way he is after meeting his father (played by Kyle Chandler).  The struggle for Sutter to change and the suspense of not wanting to see Aimee get hurt makes this a compelling watch.

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Katy Perry:  Part Of Me

I didn't really feel like I learned too much from this documentary, other than that Perry's shows might be sensory overload.  Yes, touring is difficult, and yes, it takes a toll on one's personal life.  It wasn't a shocker that Katy was a bit of a ham as a kid. Altogether, this wasn't a terrible documentary, just not terribly enlightening.

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French Immersion (at UWM's Festival of Films in French)

Goofy film about life in Quebec at a French Immersion school for adults.  Said adults are not allowed to speak English in school or with their host families.  Culture shock leads to most of the humor.  The school is being investigated because of mismanagement, so the school's leadership tries to do everything they can to save it, and one of the new students has political aspirations but needs to hide for a little while.  It's a likable film without too much depth or intensity.

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Dans La Maison (In The House)

This was a second viewing of a film screened for Milwaukee Film Club members last year, and since I knew of the twists and turns this time, it wasn't nearly as entertaining. 

 

The film centers around the budding relationship between Germain, a literature teacher,and one of his students.  Early on, the teacher laments the disappointing quality of his students' work, as they seem incapable of even describing their weekend in an interesting manner.  Along comes Claude Garcia, who tells the story of the happenings in his friend's house as he begins tutoring him in math. 

Germain begins mentoring Claude, as he sees Claude's potential, but begins to offer his opinion on the plot and writing style. Claude, meanwhile, begins to linger in his friend's home and writing on life there.  Eventually, this becomes very complicated for both Germain and Claude and has consequences for both.

My second viewing felt a bit tedious, but I definitely recommend it, as it is a unique experience, both funny and suspenseful.

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