Tammy (2014)

The husband & wife duo of Ben Falcone and Melissa McCarthy bring us the story of one Tammy, a deeply immature and uncultured woman. At the crossroads of her life, she makes a hard left turn into debauchery and degradation. Much like McCarthy's previous comedies, the humor is at times crass and the acting forced. Many scenes deserve trimming for the lingering improvisation. The characters are well fleshed out and quite specific. McCarthy is reminiscent of Chris Farley at his best in her role of the overzealous yet lovable Tammy. A surprisingly strong supporting cast (Susan Sarandon, Kathy Bates, Gary Cole, Allison Janney) slightly elevate the simple plot, but only enough for a handful of truly comedic moments.

2½ viking burials out of 5

ENOUGH SAID [2013]

Writer/director Nicole Holofcener teams up Julia Louis-Dreyfus & James Gandolfini with great success in the bittersweet romantic comedy/drama Enough Said.
The two leads have a wonderfully believable chemistry but the story is also blessed with a gaggle of interesting supporting characters that make me wish the film was just a bit longer to get to know them as well.  Far from the usual youth oriented fluff these films tend to be, Enough Said offers a very adult outlook on such subjects as divorce, parenting and sex with an aged flabby body.  It's well acted, well written and nicely paced but I wish it was just 15 or 20 minutes longer.

3½ onions on the bottom of the bowl out of 5