Enemies, A Love Story (1989)

Paul Mazursky's 1989 film, *Enemies, A Love Story*, plunges into the chaotic post-Holocaust life of Herman Broder (Ron Silver) in New York, a ghostwriter who finds himself romantically entangled in a truly labyrinthine manner: simultaneously involved with his loyal current wife, Yadwiga (Lena Olin); his passionate, volatile mistress-turned-wife, Masha (Anjelica Huston), who is also a married woman; and his long-vanished first wife, Tamara (Margaret Sophie Stein), who miraculously reappears, believed dead in the war. Based on Isaac Bashevis Singer's acclaimed novel, the film is a poignant, often darkly comedic, exploration of survival, guilt, lust, and the human heart's bewildering capacity for love and self-deception in the shadow of immense trauma. *Enemies, A Love Story* unequivocally belongs on a list of "Best Paul Mazursky Movies" because it embodies his signature blend of incisive social commentary, character-driven narrative, and a unique ability to find both humor and profound pathos in the complexities of human relationships. While often set in the more familiar suburban or urban American landscapes of films like *An Unmarried Woman* or *Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice*, Mazursky's direction of *Enemies* transports his thematic concerns – infidelity, the search for identity, and the struggle for genuine connection – to a darker, more emotionally charged canvas. He masterfully guides an exceptional ensemble cast (with Oscar-nominated performances from Huston and Olin), crafting an unforgettable, darkly comedic, and deeply moving film that stands as one of his most ambitious and critically celebrated achievements.