Movies You Might Have Missed: James Gandolfini in Enough Said

James Gandolfini's performance as the gentle and caring Albert in ‘Enough Said’ – a film that has been dedicated to his memory – is apparently far more similar to the actor's actual character than Tony Soprano

James Gandolfini and Julia Louis-Dreyfus in the romantic comedy-drama 'Enough Said'

James Gandolfini's untimely passing in June 2013 felt particularly devastating. As the patriarch in The Sopranos, he was responsible for perhaps the finest performance in the history of television. However, unlike his similarly gifted contemporary Philip Seymour Hoffman, there was a sense that we never quite got to see the full range of Gandolfini's remarkable abilities on screen. Enough Said, completed before the actor's death but released after, was a world away from Tony Soprano and showcased an entirely different aspect of his genius.

Written and directed by Nicole Holofcener, the romantic comedy-drama stars the great Julia Louis-Dreyfus as a divorced masseuse named Eva who embarks on a relationship with Albert (Gandolfini) only to discover that he is the ex-husband of her new friend Marianne (Catherine Keener). The premise is that simple because this is a film about adult emotions. It is an almost novelistic approach to filmmaking, calling to mind the best work of Anne Tyler.

​Gandolfini, in a film dedicated to his memory, is a revelation. According to those that knew him best, the gentle and thoughtful Albert is far closer to the actor's actual character than the mob boss ever was. In fact, Michael Imperioli, who played Tony's nephew Christopher in The Sopranos, was asked while he was promoting Oldboy whether he had seen Enough Said. His answer was no, that the trailer had been enough as it seemed so close to what his friend was like that he didn't believe he could make it through the whole film. When the words “For Jim” flash up on the screen at the film's close, it is impossible not to feel bereft.

Louis-Dreyfus was cast after she approached Holofcener and told her how keen she was to work with her. The Veep and Seinfeld star, arguably the greatest comic actress of her generation, is restrained here but as compelling as ever. The chemistry with Gandolfini is palpable and how refreshing it is to see a romantic film concern itself primarily with middle-aged characters.

The screenplay is sharp and knowing, capturing as it does the subtle nuances of a courtship between two people who have been through all this before. All that and the inspired touch of Gandolfini's Albert being unable to whisper, this is an excellent showcase for two actors better known for their television work, one of whom left us far too soon.