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07/12/02

Frank's film tip: Seeing Jennifer Lopez get her head knocked in courtesy of Michael Apted's generically dull domestic violence thriller has one screaming "Enough" already!

To a certain degree, some guilty pleasures make for some downright good cinema courtesy of the way some filmmakers exploit their celluloid products. But then again there's the flip side to this notion where lending an exploitative hand doesn't necessary mean inviting a good time at the movies. This can be said for director Michael Apted's generic and dull domestic violence thriller "Enough".

On the movie poster based on Apted's empty-headed flick, the tagline reads: "everyone has a limit!" Well, after watching Apted's cheap and gimmicky opus dedicated to spousal abuse, I would contend that the poster's byline was right on cue but for the wrong reasons. Hastily conceived and comparable to an ineffectively excitable yet dreary Lifetime cable channel movie-of-the-week empowerment session, "Enough" is a manufactured and staid thriller that only trivializes the social illness of domestic violence within this seemingly stable household. Basically, sensationalizing spousal misconduct for frenetic dramatical purposes feels pathetically unctuous. And besides that, the film doesn't even jump at the opportunity to present itself as either a suitable social commentary or unintentionally campy observation. If anything, "Enough" serves only as an excuse to sugarcoat the perils of a beautiful got-it-together wife and mother named Slim (Jennifer Lopez) and turn her into a hackneyed fighting machine only to discover her feminist fiber in the miraculous ability to fight back. In short, why the unnecessary hokum?

Like a rather unchallenging jigsaw puzzle, the pieces fall into place in typical, predictable fashion. Attractive working class waitress Slim eventually meets her dream guy in the likes of hunky contractor Mitch (the terrific Billy Campbell late from ABC-TV's recently cancelled drama "Once and Again"). Everything appears fine for the lovely Slim--she has a fancy suburban home, a hotshot hubby who makes great money and a precious 5-year old daughter to adore. Life couldn't be sweeter for the homemaker honeybun. That is until the Jeckyll-and-Hyde Mitch starts demonstrating some ruthless and erratic behavior.

Disturbed by her sudden mild-mannered lovey-dovey-turned-psycho provider, Slim decides to hit the road rather than have the crazed hothead Mitch continue to hit her. This, of course, would prove costly because Slim's decision to pack her things and take their little tyke to safety only fueled the twisted anger within the demented Mitch. And so remains these fine obvious points: can Slim stay one step ahead of her hot-and-bothered husband and his cronies long enough to figure how she can counteract his dubious off-the-handle antics? Can Slim find both a physical and psychological way to combat Mitch's domestic demons? When the showdown finally nears, will Slim confront Mitch and show this creepy cretin that she's had enough of his crappy assaults and other peculiar types of foolishness? Folks, we all know the answers to these inevitable questions, huh?

Had "Enough" bothered to take its time and add more psychological build-up to Campbell's ugly Prince Charming, then Lopez's punching bag protagonist would have garnered more sympathy and pathos. But from the get go, you see where Apted is going with this vehicle in order to tap into the apparent cheap thrills of this tired movie. Even more offensive is the usage of the couple's tiny daughter as a postergirl for their dysfunctional union. This seems like some pandering ploy to legitimize this raucous exorcise as some moral, frenzied fable. Everything about "Enough" is a beard because the film masquerades as a morality tale on the concept of love and the unexpected chaos it could bring. But then this dark-themed subject matter is compromised for a goofy posturing of events (how'd you like the part where Lopez's Slim took kickboxing lessons or the obligatory car chase to boot?).

You don't have to be Carnac the Magnificent or any of Dionne Warwick's psychic friends to see where the blatantly derivative "Enough" is heading in terms of its so-called suspense mode. This is clearly one of the laziest and unfullfilling thrillers to ever burst on the big screen in years. The shameful aspect to this domestic violent dud is that it wastes some considerable good talent in the likes of usually dependable Lopez and Campbell. Believe me, the torment isn't just watching Lopez be used as a slap-around ragdoll or seeing how the film's sole tot (played by Tessa Allen incidentally) is being used and exposed in such a junky premise.

In all honesty, I had "Enough" the moment the opening credits rolled and when I found out that the theater jipped me of more tasty butter on my otherwise dry, sorry-for-an-excuse bucket of popcorn!

Frank rates this film: stars