Review of Please Give (2010) by Ray H — 23 Jun 2010

A slice-of-life film abt neurotic New Yorkers. Is there any other kind?? A pretty decent movie. The story was engaging. The film uses some very short scenes to back-fill the story-line & explain why some things are how/what they are. I liked this technique. It worked very well here. The story unfolds over a period of perhaps a few wks. There are a number of neurotic characters; fairly fully developed. It reminded me of a neurotic Woody Allen style film or the neurotic cast of SEINFELD; w/out the humor (there is a little). During my few forays to the East coast (NYC) or the West coast (San Fran). There has always seemed to be a greater number/density of neurotics in the population than I have commonly experienced in the Midwest. We have a group of self-absorbed, neurotic New Yorkers; living their narrowly focused, narcissistic lives, often at the expense of others. We have some disagreeable, nasty, mean-spirited types here. We all know people like this; usually in the minority of any group. Kate, the mom, played by Katherine Keener, is neurotic, but good-hearted. A guilty, tortured woman who hands out money to street people. She was very good; as was Oliver Platt as her husband. Platt was excellent as usual. Rebecca Hall plays Rebecca, a dutiful granddaughter, who looks after her truth-telling, cranky grandma. Kate & Rebecca stand out as the only 2, reasonably likeable characters in this film. And, Rebecca, is the only emotionally healthy person in the story.

An interesting little film. Hey ... where are all the sane people hiding out?? It can be lonely out there.