Enough

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=80 BGCOLOR="#000000" TEXT="#F7F7FF" bgproperties="fixed" background="04000500dvldtc.png"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FFCC66" FACE="Arial" ><B>Reel Movie Critic.com</B></FONT><B>     |     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Reel Movie Critic.com"><U><B>home</B></U></A></div> <div>                                                   </div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=210 BGCOLOR="#000000" TEXT="#F7F7FF" background="041d2c00dvldtc.png"> <div> <B>Home Pages for</B></div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.reelmoviecritic.com/index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.reelmoviecritic.com/index.htm"><U><B>Movies</B></U></A></div> <div> <B>      </B><A HREF="http://www.newbookdiscounts.com/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.newbookdiscounts.com/"><U><B>Books</B></U></A></div> <div> <B>            </B><A HREF="http://www.reelmoviecritic.com/travelforless/id364.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.reelmoviecritic.com/travelfor"><U><B>Travel</B></U></A></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>                   </B><A HREF="http://www.reelmoviecritic.com/travelforless/id361.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.reelmoviecritic.com/travelfor"><U><B>Great Web Sites</B></U></A></div> </td> <td valign="top" height=400 BGCOLOR="#000000" TEXT="#F7F7FF"> <div> Enough</div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="501" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 146 WIDTH="495"><div> <IMG SRC="1247618c0.jpg" border=0 width="97" height="140" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"> <A HREF="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00006HAWN/reelmoviecriticc">Enough</A>  </div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="579" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 20 WIDTH="575"><div> <B>                                                 Enough</B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FFCC66" FACE="Wingdings 2" ><B>êê</B></FONT><B> </B> ( PG-13 ) </div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="575"><div> Reviewed By Cathy Edsey Collins</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="575"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="19" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="575" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 20 WIDTH="575"><div> <B>She is woman, hear her roar</B></div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="580" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="269"><div> Jennifer Lopez: Slim</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="304"><div> Billy Campbell: Mitch</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="269"><div> Juliette Lewis: Ginny</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="304"><div> Dan Futterman: Joe</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="269"><div> Fred Ward: Jupiter</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="304"><div> Noah Wyle: "Hero"</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="269"><div> Tessa Allen: Gracie</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="304"><div> Director: Michael Apted</div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div> <B>30 Second Bottom Line</B>: A working-class mom is forced to defend herself and her young daughter when the charming man she married turns into a physically abusive psycho.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Story Line:</B> Jennifer Lopez's Slim feels like a fairy tale Cinderella when Mr. Nice Guy, Mitch (Billy Campbell), walks into the diner where she works as a waitress and sweeps her off her feet. A wealthy contractor, Mitch provides a luxurious lifestyle and security for Slim and their daughter Gracie. The irony of his wedding day promise to her <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FFCC66" FACE="Symbol" >¾</FONT>"You're safe with me" <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FFCC66" FACE="Symbol" >¾</FONT> becomes glaringly apparent when Slim discovers Mitch has been cheating on her. When she confronts Mitch, he begins to beat her and threatens to kill her if she ever tries to leave him.</div> <bR> <div> As the physical abuse accelerates and her legal options disappear, Slim is forced to either "endure the experience like some goddamn country song" or take matters into her own hands. </div> <bR> <div> With the help of her estranged father (Fred Ward), Slim trains with a martial arts expert, who teaches her how to defend herself, culminating in the film's final confrontation between Slim and Mitch. </div> <bR> <div> <B>Tell Me More About It</B>:  "Enough" undoubtedly has its heart in the right place. The plight of abused women needs to be addressed in a serious, forthright manner. The laws of this country do not serve these beleaguered victims of violence. Unfortunately, this film tends to oversimplify the problem and actually trivializes the issue with its unintentionally stereotypical moments that garner laughter instead of tears and outrage. How many times do we have to watch the supposed dead man resurrect himself for one last attack?  Or be asked to believe that anyone can be proficient in martial arts in a month?</div> <bR> <div> Like a well-oiled machine, however, "Enough" pushes the right emotional buttons to get its audience rooting for Slim during the movie's climactic conclusion. Certainly, the casting of Lopez guarantees this loyalty. A surprisingly good actress, Lopez convincingly portrays a wife/mother who has been betrayed, her action hero makeover undeniably impressive.  And Billy Campbell-cast totally against his "Once and Again" good guy image<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FFCC66" FACE="Symbol" >¾</FONT>is totally believable as the smarmy Mitch. His good looks and beguiling nature at the film's outset make it easy to understand why Slim could see him as her Prince Charming. </div> <bR> <div> But this is a paint-by-numbers movie.  There are no real surprises here; we know the movie's outcome within minutes. "Enough" is mostly a waiting game as the audience accepts the big buildup to its "Rocky"-like match between Mitch and his transformed, kick-ass wife, hooting and hollering and she beats him bloody. This is a movie whose payoff requires nearly two hours of predictable suspense, much like Julia Roberts' dilemma in "Sleeping With the Enemy," but if one can live with that major flaw, this is a good popcorn flick.</div> <bR> <div> Truly, "Enough" is probably a better film for rental. The nature of the story lends itself perfectly for rowdy group viewing, where yelling at the screen ("Don't look behind that shower curtain!") provides a forum for healthy venting.         </div> <div>    </div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="621" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="617"><div> Rated PG-13</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="617"><div> Cathy Edsey Collins © 2002</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="617"><div> <A HREF="mailto:Reelmoviec@aol.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:Reelmoviec@aol.com"><U><U>Cathyedsey@aol.com</U></U></A></div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div> Mini Filmography </div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="646" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 38 WIDTH="341"><div> Jennifer Lopez:  "<I><B>Angel Eyes,</B></I> "Out of Sight", <I><B>"The Cell", "The Wedding Planner"</B></I></div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="298"><div> Billy Campbell: TV's "Once and Again", "The Rocketeer"</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 38 WIDTH="341"><div> Juliette Lewis: "The Other Sister", "Natural Born Killers", "What's Eating Gilbert Grape"</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="298"><div> Dan Futterman: TV's "Judging Amy", "The Birdcage"</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 38 ><NOBR><div> Fred Ward: "The Right Stuff", "Tremors"</div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="298"><div> Director Michael Apted:  <I><B>"Enigma",</B></I> "The World Is Not Enough", "Nell"</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 ><NOBR><div> Noah Wyle: TV's "ER", <I><B>"Donnie Darko"</B></I></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="298"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="19" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="298" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>