Review of Please Give (2010) by Colin M — 20 Jan 2011

*INDEPENDENT SPIRIT AWARD NOMINEE - BEST SCREENPLAY and winner of the ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD for BEST CAST*.

This is an unexpected gem whose charms creeped up on me and left me smiling ear to ear by the end. Nicole Holofcener has done some fine work in the past, but I couldn't help but thinking that she was mired a bit too much in her middlebrow Santa Monica sensibilities. By moving locations to New York, I think she's found just the right bit of edge for her sometimes too-comfortable characters.

A story basically about people who learn to be better towards each other, Catherine Keener gives a quietly soulful performance here and is well-matched with Oliver Platt, who brings a sweet charm to his philandering husband role. Rebecca Hall has wowed me in many films in her brief career so far, but this time, she surpasses herself as a sad woman finding her bliss. In a wonderful scene with Keener in which they tell each other they're good people, I was hugely impressed by the waves of emotion on her face. Amanda Peet, whom I had the pleasure of working with a bunch of years ago, has FINALLY been given a role with some real bite to it. Always a strong comic actor, she gets to add layers of bitterness here and the results are staggering. One scene, late in the film, in which she is confronted by a person she's stalking, amazed me with her unsparing directness and misguided attempt at seeking answers to questions better left unasked. Sarah Steele is fantastic as Keener an Platt's acne-riddled teenager. Her scenes with Hall and Peet were so refreshing, and that final close-up of her was sublime. Ann Morgan Guilbert is a strong scene-stealer in the very well-written role of the bitchiest grandma EVER. This cast is entirely deserving of the honor being given to them at this year's Spirit Awards. Scene after scene throws different cast members together and presents such intriguing dynamics. It's a joy to watch.

My only question is why a mere two nominations for a film which should have been given more and certainly, in a perfect world, would get some Academy Award love to. One of 2010's best films.