I think that I am going to be one of the few reviewers that actually thoroughly enjoyed the new Jennifer Lopez film, Enough. Directed by Michael Apted (The World is Not Enough); this is a highly engrossing suspense/revenge thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat for the majority of the film.
Jennifer Lopez plays Slim, a waitress at a Marina del Rey coffee shop restaurant who deals with all sorts of people day in and day out but happens to allow herself to fall for a man who seems to be Mr. Perfect. They marry, have a child, and have a happy life. Then, Slim finds that hubby Mitch (Billy Campbell) is getting pages and cell phone calls from another woman. She confronts him and things get very nasty. He will not let her leave him. He is one of those psycho men from Hell that consider their wife their property and they feel that they can and will do anything to keep what they want. Things progress and he and his henchmen are ultimately stalking Slim and their daughter Gracie (Tessa Allen).
Jennifer Lopez's acting in this film is nothing noteworthy. Just business as usual, it seems as though she is settling for another hard-ass role like the one she had in her last dramatic effort, Angel Eyes. She has the potential to start getting generically typecast as either the cute girl or the tough girl. The best performance in this film is from Billy Campbell, as Slim's cocky, menacing, psycho obsessive husband from Hell who masquerades as rational and in control. It is nice to see Juliette Lewis back in a film again although it is a small role.
The writing in this film is quite flawed. But the writers knew that and partially exonerate the stupidity of the Silm's character when she meets with a lawyer later in the film he tells her that she had several chances to do things that she should have and she did not. I was relieved that they addressed that she had been an idiot and it was not just bad writing (not entirely). The other big thing is how she could become trained into a self-defense fighting machine in such a short time. Like most suspense thrillers, it requires a stretch of the imagination.
However, the suspense of this film as Slim is chased from city to city by her husband and you are wondering where he will show up next creates an exciting tension that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Enough is a classic nail biter which will be a must see for all fans of suspense thrillers. For the more astute moviegoer, this is generic Hollywood formula that you will resent. And it may be formula, but at least this formula tastes good!
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