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Enemies, a Love Story

Play trailer Poster for Enemies, a Love Story R Released Dec 13, 1989 1h 59m Comedy Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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89% Tomatometer 28 Reviews 54% Popcornmeter 1,000+ Ratings
Herman Broder (Ron Silver), a Holocaust survivor living in New York City and struggling with depression after his ordeals in the war, makes his living ghostwriting for a rabbi. Herman is married to Yadwiga (Margaret Sophie Stein) but is also having an affair with Masha (Lena Olin), a married woman. Things grow even more chaotic when Herman's first wife, Tamara (Anjelica Huston), who he thought had died in the war, shows up in New York as well. Based on the novel by Isaac Bashevis Singer.
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Enemies, a Love Story

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Critics Consensus

Enemies, a Love Story finds writer-director Paul Mazursky operating near peak form, weaving a richly melodramatic tapestry brought to life by a stellar cast.

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Critics Reviews

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Pauline Kael New Yorker The director, Paul Mazursky, has gathered a superbly balanced cast and kept the action so smooth that the viewer is carried along on a tide of mystical slyness. Sep 12, 2023 Full Review Mike McGrady Newsday Loosely constructed and at times enigmatic, but rich in characterization, texture, mood, tone and meaning. Rated: 3.5/4 Aug 1, 2021 Full Review Kathleen Carroll New York Daily News It's a brave effort on Mazursky's part; although the movie is too long, it does occasionally achieve an unsettling blend of humor and pathos that the director strove for. Rated: 3/4 Aug 1, 2021 Full Review Rene Jordan El Nuevo Herald (Miami) Enemies is overall a brilliant film, but its brilliance stems from its atmosphere, fotography, and marvelously evocative music. [Full review in Spanish] Nov 3, 2022 Full Review Michael Sragow San Francisco Examiner The anti-hero of "Enemies, a Love Story" may be smart, smart and stupid; but the movie is smart, smart and smart. Rated: 4/4 Aug 1, 2021 Full Review Brian D. Johnson Maclean's Magazine Enemies offers a giddy ride that ultimately goes nowhere. Oct 11, 2019 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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steve d I found the entire thing uncomfortable. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review uncle p Story/Screenplay: (2/5) An odd drama about a bigamist holocaust survivor with an unsympathetic character. Duration/Tempo: (3/5) At 1 hour and 59 minutes, it's an average length movie that feels longer. Needed trimming. Cast & Crew: (3.5/5) Lena Olin and Anjelica Huston were standouts. Summary: (2.5/5) It was difficult to care about the main character (Ron Silver). By extension, caring about the movie became an afterthought. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member Bolstered by a trinity of enthralling performances as the titular wives of a Holocaust survivor, this film adaptation of Isaac Bashevis Singer's, who won the Nobel Prize for literature in 1978, novel of the same name triumphs as a restrainedly dark and enigmatic love comedy. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/22/23 Full Review Audience Member A delightful romantic affair with great performances from Ron Silver, Anjelica Huston, Judith Malina, Margaret Sophie Stein, and a dynamite performance from Lena Olin that deserved to win an Oscar but only was nominated. It's funny, romantic, and a whole lot of fun. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/19/23 Full Review Audience Member ***Due to the recent RT changes that have basically ruined my past reviews, I am mostly only giving a rating rather than a full review.*** Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/09/23 Full Review Audience Member A sex farce that touched on the Holocaust made a lot of people queasy so, even if people knew it existed, they probably would have stayed away. Their loss. It's completely charming and observant. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/04/23 Full Review Read all reviews
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Movie Info

Synopsis Herman Broder (Ron Silver), a Holocaust survivor living in New York City and struggling with depression after his ordeals in the war, makes his living ghostwriting for a rabbi. Herman is married to Yadwiga (Margaret Sophie Stein) but is also having an affair with Masha (Lena Olin), a married woman. Things grow even more chaotic when Herman's first wife, Tamara (Anjelica Huston), who he thought had died in the war, shows up in New York as well. Based on the novel by Isaac Bashevis Singer.
Director
Paul Mazursky
Producer
Paul Mazursky
Screenwriter
Paul Mazursky
Distributor
20th Century Fox
Production Co
Morgan Creek Entertainment
Rating
R
Genre
Comedy, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Dec 13, 1989, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
May 13, 2019
Box Office (Gross USA)
$7.8M
Runtime
1h 59m
Sound Mix
Surround
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