Enemies: A Love Story (1989) Reviews

• 40% Comedy + 60% Drama = 100% Great

  xavrush892005-02-18

  When comedian Alan King passed away last year, I thought of his sweet performance in this should-be classic. One would not expect comedy to come from a story about Holocaust survivors, but this film takes the quirks of human behavior in the wake of tragedy and puts them on display, warts and all. I haven't read Nobel Prize winner Isaac Bashevis Singer's novel, but I can't imagine him not being pleased with Paul Mazursky's winning adaptation. Poor Ron Silver though, he finally gets a lead role, and almost every scene of his is stolen by one of his three outstanding female co-stars. Lena Olin has the showiest part as a fiery concentration camp survivor. Full of passion, bitterness, and paranoia all at the same time, she puts sex back into an era normally depicted as colorless and empty. I don't want to say too much about Anjelica Huston's role for fear of spoiling the intrigue each revelation about her character brings. She pulls off several humorous moments as well. But the real revelation is Margaret Sophie Stein. As Silver's wife whom he married out of gratitude, she is not as naive as she seems, and her performance anchors the film. This movie snuck in under the wire at the tail end of the 'eighties, and seemed to have gotten lost in the shuffle of high caliber end-of-the-year movies all seeking Oscar consideration. Some feel that its Best Picture nomination was stolen by Dead Poets Society. I am one of those people. But keep in mind that this was the year that Do the Right Thing was ignored in favor of more sentimental fare like Field of Dreams. Olin and Huston were nominated for their roles, but they lost to Brenda Fricker's tour de force performance as Christy Brown's mother in My Left Foot. It bothers me that this film doesn't have more votes. Rent it, people!!! (Or better yet, buy a copy. When you see it, you'll want to.) You'll love the characters, and it's a great film to watch after you've seen something like Life is Beautiful. It is an unusual tale, but one I am glad someone thought to tell.

  More

• Great transition from the book!

  lennie_mo_2006-11-28

  After reading the novel this film was based on, I thought: "No way! There is absolutely no way they can portray these raw emotions on film!" But that's exactly what the amazing actors do! The three women are as different as they could be, but each character is spot-on. Between these 3 women (Lena Olin, Anjelica Houston and Margaret Sophie Stein) is Ron Silver, whose character's emotions are clearly displayed on his face - I don't know if he is the anchor in the movie, because at times he is overshadowed by his female co-stars, but he makes me sympathize with him. The "old" feel of the movie is great, and I do believe that it's a realistic image of New York in the late '40s. It might be a bit depressing, but it should be seen if not only for the acting - trust me, it's fantastic!

  More

• You can't choose just one

  Helmholz2006-01-03

  I bought this movie (DVD release) after looking for other films by Paul Mazursky after being enchanted by An Unmarried Woman (and finding out there's reportedly a DVD release for that on January 10th) and after reading xavrush89's comments. I didn't know what to expect going into this movie, I usually try to find out enough to get interested but not enough to know what's going on. It worked, in this case. Ron Silver plays a Polish Jew living in Coney Island after the Holocaust. It is 4 years after the end of WWII and he works as a writer and has a wife whom he wed because she protected him from the Nazis. Meanwhile, he's enjoying the company of another woman during 'business trips' when he finds out personally that his original wife thought to have been killed by Nazis is alive and in New York!! It sounds so absurd that you might think this movie is a comedy, but it's not. There are funny moments, but throughout this movie you will become wrapped up in the very serious moral dilemma of a man married to two women while he's in love with another and the conflicting emotions that all of the characters feel and experience. The acting is top notch and every character is played by each respective actor remarkably. Everything they say and do is believable and realistic. Not to mention the excellent environments, although things look a little shiny and new. One of my complaints involves the audio levels. At times it is extremely difficult to hear what the characters are saying, much less understand them with their (excellent) accents. There's dialogue that passed me by even after going back to listen to it twice at times. Another complaint is the video restoration isn't all that great, but it keeps that '1989 look' and it's better than the ultra-crisp visuals of movies today. But I don't have much to complain about as far as the actual movie goes, and that's a good thing. Entirely fascinating and skillfully produced and directed, it's one of those movies that was extremely interesting but hard to enjoy due to the nature of the struggles of the characters. Nonetheless it's a great film that you should see at least once.

  More

• One of Paul Mazursky's high points.

  lee_eisenberg2006-03-04

  I once read about how Paul Mazursky's career as a director has gravitated between very well done ("Bob and Carol and Ted and Alice", "Moscow on the Hudson") and what-was-he-thinking?! ("Scenes from a Mall", "The Flying Pickle"). Well, I can say with certainty that "Enemies: A Love Story" is one of his good ones. Portraying Holocaust survivor Herman Broder (Ron Silver) living in New York in 1949 and suddenly surrounded by three women (his current wife, another married woman, and his first wife whom he believed to be dead), the movie presents an eye-opening situation. It's like a slice-of-life story taken one step further. As the three women, Margaret Sophie Stein, Lena Olin, and Anjelica Huston do a very good job. Definitely worth seeing.

  More

• Surprisingly good

  pbalos2000-08-28

  It's one of those stories that may be better in print or would have more impact on the stage, however this works suprisingly well on film. The superb acting allows it to be both effective as a drama and comedy.For those familiar with NYC in the late 40's, the setting is most believable.It's far from boring, but one must adapt to the slow pace of the movie, which in fact, proves to be an asset.All 'n all; well done. 7/10

  More