Search - Enough - Special Edition (Widescreen) on DVD

Female Empowerment

Debbie Lee Wesselmann | the Lehigh Valley, PA | 07/12/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Jennifer Lopez stars as Slim in this thriller about an abused woman who flees her rich and well-connected husband Mitch (Bill Campbell). At stake is not only Slim's well-being but also the psychological and physical protection of their young daughter Gracie (played adorably by little Tessa Allen). Although this flick has the trappings of a feminist fight-back story with its theme of domestic violence and custody laws, make no mistake: this is a thriller through and through, with twists and violence and personal peril at every turn. Women will delight in the training scenes where J-Lo prepares to fight back, and men will hardly mind the sight of the buff actress learning to defend herself. Yeah, the premise as it unfolds is a little ridiculous, especially as Mitch seems to have a GPS system to track his fleeing wife, but the escapism is pure adrenaline-rushing fun. Jennifer Lopez is naturally appealing and solid in her performance, although the emotional range of the role seems to demand only fierceness and fright. Still, the chemistry between her and young co-star Allen is unmistakable, even poignant. Noah Wylie does a fantastic turn as Robbie, a character I won't describe for fear of spoiling the plot. Juliette Lewis has her usual on-screen charisma even though she's not given much to work with. This film was much better than I expected. Viewers hoping for something new or even substantial on the theme of domestic violence will be disappointed since it only serves as a plot device to put Lopez's character in danger. This would make a great date flick since men will appreciate the constant action (not to mention the lead actress) and women will be drawn to the subject matter."

One Star Is More Than Enough!

SCARFACE | 05/28/2002

(1 out of 5 stars)

"If there is a movie to skip this summer, please make sure it is enough! Nothing about the movie will impress you. j. lopez marries a man realizing that he is pure trouble. After being abused constantly she seeks revenge. lopez's acting seemed fake and made me and the audience laugh bigtime at the thearter when she tried to act serious about being afraid of her husband in the movie. I mean this movie was an absolute joke basically of lopez's cheesy acting. It did poor at the box office in it's first weekend, and everybody should expect that the movie continues to do poorly at the box office."

Another Mediocre Movie From Another Mediocre Actress

Alfonso A. | Imperial Beach, CA | 05/31/2002

(2 out of 5 stars)

"If you saw ``Sleeping With the Enemy,'' you may have seen enough of ``Enough.'' The 1991 movie starred Julia Roberts as the wife of a wealthy, abusive husband who flees her palatial Los Angeles home, moves to a small town in the Midwest, and changes her name and her looks. And yet, he hunts her down and tries to kill her. ``Enough'' stars Jennifer Lopez as the wife of a wealthy, abusive husband who flees her palatial Los Angeles home, moves to a small town in the Midwest, and changes her name and her looks. He hunts her down and tries to kill her, too. The main variable here is that Lopez's character, Slim, is a mother, and she grabs the couple's young daughter, Gracie (Tessa Allen), on her way out the door. Say what you will about J.Lo -- that she can't sing, that she's ubiquitous. The woman has an undeniable presence. And watching her transform herself from pampered, betrayed housewife to one-woman wrecking machine makes ``Enough'' function on a visceral, you-go-girl level. The third act -- in which she exacts her revenge with the elaborate skill of James Bond and the brute strength of Rocky Balboa -- is pretty ridiculous if you stop to think about it. But it's entertaining enough that it almost makes up for the inconsistencies in plot and character development that preceded it. For a thriller, the movie begins more like a romantic comedy, with Slim and Mitch (Billy Campbell of ``Once and Again'') meeting cute at the diner where she's a waitress, and title cards like ``How they met'' and ``Conquering hero'' connecting their early stages. In no time, they've fallen in love, gotten married, moved into a beautiful house together and had a baby. Mitch, a contractor, seems like the ideal husband, if a bit distant at times. Then Slim discovers Mitch is having an affair, and when she confronts him, his personality changes completely. He becomes so cold-hearted and cruel so abruptly, it's difficult to accept -- almost comic. The script from Nicholas Kazan explains his behavior with vague throwaway lines such as: ``I am and always will be a person who gets what he wants'' and ``If I can't have you, nobody else will.'' Slim cooks up a scheme to escape with the help of Ginny (Juliette Lewis), a waitress at the diner; Phil (Christopher Maher), who's a father figure in the absence of her real dad; and ex-boyfriend Joe (Dan Futterman), who provides refuge at his home in Seattle. Michael Apted, who directed the most recent Bond movie, ``The World Is Not Enough,'' and another female empowerment movie, ``Coal Miner's Daughter,'' knows how to keep the pace moving during the action sequences. But the midsection of the film -- the cat-and-mouse chase, with its requisite cheap scares -- gets a bit repetitive. The plot problems pop up as Slim and Gracie move from city to city. For a contractor, Mitch has the computer skills of a sophisticated hacker; he immediately freezes Slim's access to her cash and credit, and he tracks her moves effortlessly, with a squad of thugs in every city available to pounce on her and the little girl. Mitch even has a police officer buddy at his disposal (``ER's'' Noah Wyle, like Campbell, playing against type) who tries to ram Slim's car from behind, even though Gracie is sitting in the back seat. Um, isn't he supposed to bring the girl back ... alive? As if Gracie hasn't been through enough, Slim sends her away for a month to stay with Ginny and her two kids while she prepares for a showdown with Mitch. She learns Krav Maga -- a fighting form originally developed for women in the Israeli army -- and her eyeliner and lip gloss are perfect during every punch and kick."

Not the greatest plot, but solid acting

Carly | 01/18/2003

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Some actors and actresses out there can only deliver a good performance if they're given a particular type of material to work with. Some can only act well if the plot is good. Jennifer Lopez is an exception. This girl is a strong, strong actress who is very much believable in all her roles, even if they are crazy ones like the one she played out in "Enough."If you have any idea of what might happen when a good husband turns bad and hits his wife and the wife flees with the child, then you'll probably have a pretty good idea of what to expect in this movie. I think the film tries hard to depict the struggles that a woman faces when she's got a child and her fairy-tale marriage turns deadly, but it's so ridiculous and off-the-wall at parts that it's just kind of funny, almost. For instance, what was with the scene where Mitch (the husband) shows up in their house? Ok, so Slim (Lopez) wakes up and all of a sudden, Mitch is just there. How did he get in? Through the open door? Did he break a window? Oh, wait, I forgot, it's Hollywood. You're not supposed to ask; you're just supposed to go with it.The best and most commendable thing that Lopez's character did in this film was leave that maniac after he hit her once. Sadly, that's not how it always works in the real world when a spouse starts slapping them around, and somewhere in there was a good example from Lopez. This might be a fun movie if you like thrillers (despite all else, I will admit that it keeps you on the edge of your seat) and you need a Saturday night rental. But the acting is pretty much its strongest point, not the film itself."