Review of Please Give (2010) by Mark J — 22 Jun 2010

Please Give is a typical indie film. Not much plot, few dramatic twists and themes that revolve aound money, death & guilt. If that's your bag you will love this movie. The characterisation is superb and the relationships that develop are touching and believable.

It's been billed as a 'Comedy Drama' but there's not much 'comedy' and the drama is dark and subtle, just like the humour. The shock twist at the end never arrives, but what we do get is a convincing slice of life. There are too many relationships to go into detail, but the central character Kate (Catherine Keener) starts to have doubts & feels guilty about how she makes her living in the city. She and her husbband Alex (Oliver Platt) run a furniture store that is stocked from the houses of the recently deceased. They help the relatives clear out their stuff, then take the furniture to their store to sell at inflated prices to gullible New Yorkers.

Kate's husband doesn't have any qualms about making a good living but starts to feel neglected as Kate begins to get more and more side-tracked with feelings of guilt. They have also bought the apartment next door & are biding their time waiting for the occupant (an elderly lady) to die, so that they can extend their flat. This brings them into an awkward entanglement with the two grandaughters of the elderly lady, both of whom have their own issues to deal with...

I could go on, but it should be obvious that this is a 'relationships' movie & not one driven by 'story'. Some people may find the lack of plot direction a little off-putting and a little bit "what the hell was that all about?" but for a subtle drama with echoes of Woody Allen's New York angst, it's a winner.