Review of Please Give (2010) by Hatem A — 22 Mar 2011

3.5/4.0.

Writer-director Nicole Holofcener ("Walking and Talking", "Lovely and Amazing", "Friends with Money") is one of the best filmmakers around making movies about women that are bound to crossover to both genders. Her movies are smart, heart-rending and funny, and the underrated "Please Give" is no exception and one of her best.

The very original plot centers on a number of eclectic characters. Kate (Catherine Keener) and Alex (Oliver Platt) are a married couple living in NYC with their angry (mostly because of acne) teenage daughter Abby (Sarah Steele) who run a used furniture store. They bought the adjacent apartment of the very old and very cranky Andra (Ann Guilbert) in hope of expanding their own who will stay in it until she dies. Andra is taken care of her two granddaughters, the kind and gentle Rebecca (Rebecca Hall), a breast cancer radiology technician, and the sexy, sharp-tongued Mary (Amanda Peet) who works as a cosmetologist. The family tries to draw close to their neighbors (a clear redemption to the fact they are waiting on Andra to die) to dismal results.

I really enjoyed watching this movie. Holofcener presents us with very unique and memorable flawed characters that are also very likeable. The always-dependable Keener is great in the lead role as a woman who is constantly looking to give back to poor people - she can't resist giving money whenever she passes by a beggar on the street - while at the same time being reluctant to buy her daughter a somewhat overpriced pair of jeans. And eventually her job, which involves buying furniture from dead people whose families don't know the real value of what they have, gets to her. Holofcener also creates an interesting male character in Platt's Alex, a loving husband and father who turns out to be a horn-dog and not as happy as he seems. But the scene stealer is Guilbert as the old lady who can't but say the truth even if it hurts the people around her. She doesn't like anything and she can't help but speak up about her displeasure. Yes it sounds like a very unlikeable character but Guilbert is funny and manages to show heart in the subtlest of ways. At 90 minutes, "Please Give" is one of the year's best and most entertaining comedies with a lot of heart.