Review of Please Give (2010) by Reza M — 27 Oct 2010

A scathingly funny look at a family struggling to deal with their good fortune, which comes at the naivetà (C) of the recently bereaved. Writer/director Nicole Holofcenter is reunited with her favorite actor, and one of this reviewer's, Catherine Keener, as Kate.

Joined by a strong cast, the story revolves around Kate dealing with the guilt she feels, buying up estates at bargain basement prices and selling the stuff at prices only Yuppies can afford. The interaction with her family, various homeless people (and people she mistakes for homeless), and with her elderly neighbor and the neighbor's two granddaughters provide ample opportunity for light touches, which the director never over-plays.

Oliver Platt is just terrific as the husband who does not share his wife's sense of guilt. (Best exchange - Him: Your guilt is making you crazy. Her: Yes it is. Doesn't it make you crazy? Him: YES! Your guilt IS making me crazy!) But the real stunner here, and the reason this viewer wanted to see this, was the inclusion of Sarah Steele, who had appeared in a powerful short from a few years ago, "Man".

Here she plays the somewhat ignored teenage daughter, dealing with a problem complexion, her father's detachment, and her mother's constant guilt. The interactions here were all so believable and the humor at times so subtle that this viewer was constantly chuckling and nodding agreement at the situations as they unfolded.