Review of Please Give (2010) by Newt C — 11 May 2010
Engaging slice-of-life dramedy mostly centered around generations of women and how they interact. The comedy was often bittersweet and real, the way that great Woody Allen can be at his best. The performances are all really top-notch.
I'm increasingly convinced that Oliver Platt is one of the greatest comedic "everyman" actors working today, particularly in roles like this where he has to balance the comedy with genuine pathos.
Catherine Keener is great at being slightly pathetic without devolving into parody. I enjoyed spending time with all of these people. If I have any complaints, they are two-fold: 1) I kind of wish Platt's big tension had come to a crisis point involving Keener.
It's *okay* that it didn't, but for my money I like to see conflict play out and that was a big one. 2) There's definitely an underlying message in here that a certain degree of capitalistic covetousness is okay, and I really don't like that message.
The daughter wants $200 jeans, which becomes an actual plot point and SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS she gets them. END SPOILERS END SPOILERS That just seems wrong-headed. Maybe it's my class bias showing through, but watching financially-secure people whine about things doesn't sit well with me.
Still, the movie DOES make me care about these people and I can understand their gripes. I just don't find myself in a position to share them.
This review of Please Give (2010) was written by Newt C on 11 May 2010.
Please Give has generally received positive reviews.
Was this review helpful?
