Downhill

You remember the Bill Murray movie that Julia Louis-Dreyfus did where she’s the control freak mom/professional on a family ski trip to Austria when a controlled avalanche triggers an emotional earthquake? Unfortunately, Murray is not in the offbeat “Downhill” (2020). Will Ferrell is in it, playing the aloof husband mourning the loss of his own father while losing the grip on his remaining family bonds. The chemistry between Louis-Dreyfus and Ferrell is so authentically bad it’s hard to want them to be together. Murray and another actress (Julianne Moore?) could have rescued this pointedly depressing script – maybe – but why bother?

Enough Said

“Enough Said” (2013) is a fascinating little movie. It starts out a smartly written romantic comedy that isn’t chatty despite tons of dialogue. It suddenly turns into an episode of “The New Adventures of Old Christine” and gets a little painful to watch (not always for the right reasons) before a satisfying ending. It was so nice to see James Gandolfini play a character that doesn’t have to whack anyone. I’ve always had a crush on Julia Louis-Dreyfus. On TV, she can be kinda schticky. But on the big screen, her nonstop facial expressions are a treat, not a distraction.