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After five years of idyllic marital bliss, Slim (Jennifer Lopez) discovers that her husband Mitch
(Billy Campbell) is cheating on her.
As she confronts Mitch crying out that he cannot do this to her, she is shocked at the sudden transformation of her once loving husband and doting father to their young daughter Grace (Tessa Allen). Mitch turns violent, assuring her that yes, he can do as he pleases (amorous alliances and all); that since he makes the money—he lays down the rules, and she better accepts them or else… As proof, he hits her black and blue, beginning her conjugal nightmare. For the sake of her child, she endures this quietly at first until…enough is enough. With the help of friends, she and Grace manage to escape to far-flung hideaways under different identities. But with Mitch's unlimited resources and connections, Slim doesn't stand a chance. As Mitch, who told her in no uncertain terms that he always gets what he wants, is determined to gain custody of Grace, Slim is as determined to find a way to beat Mitch one-on-one. Tired of running, how can she grapple with someone so inhumanly evil, strong, and resourceful?
Reminiscent of, though not as compelling as Julia Roberts' Sleeping With the Enemy
and Ashley Judd's Double Jeopardy, Enough is still a worthwhile revenge thriller, with good direction, acting, and photography, though Lopez has been credited with
better performances in previous films. However, the build-up in suspense is quite drawn-out, repetitious in its many run-hide-and-seek sequences that it becomes tedious,
yet this somehow mirrors the shadows of terror relentlessly haunting Slim as she keeps fleeing Mitch's evil grasp. Nonetheless, the movie has its share of
suspense-filled thrilling scenarios, especially as the hunted becomes the hunter. Witnessing the ruthless brutality parents can inflict on one another may be traumatic
for the very young.
Touted as "a domestic drama which may just be every abused wife's secret revenge fantasy,"
Enough projects a strong moral for husbands and wives which could hold true for all people involved in relationships. No one, but no one, has the right to trample on
people's personhood nor rob them of their dignity.
And this is exactly what Mitch does as he beats and harasses Slim mercilessly. She is cruelly battered physically, psychologically and financially, and he knows it. The film says that those inflicting such abomination cannot continue doing so forever. Everything has a limit, and when this happens, those guilty are bound to get their comeuppance. For the battered victim, the movie implies that if you are strong and disciplined enough, and willing to learn self-defense tactics, you can fight back and win. This could be a warning signal for all men (husbands or whatever) not to tangle up with women so irreverently for many women today are no longer the long suffering martyrs of yesterday. It could also be a signal for women to be prepared for unexpected afflictions. However, even as Slim is saying that "It is a woman's divine right to defend herself and fight for those she loves," she maps out an intricate sure-fire design of revenge. Though she has been grievously wronged which prompted her to be obsessed with a safe and peaceful life for her and her child, does this obsession license her to take the law into her own hands?
(Date reviewed: September 27, 2002)
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