Review of Please Give (2010) by Cristian B — 08 May 2010

"Sometimes bad s**t happens to good people." After 4 movies, one could easily decide that this particular saying is Nicole Holofcener's calling card. But with "Please Give", Holofcener takes this truth fourth time around and crams it inside the flesh and bone of Kate, played by Catherine Keener (Holofcener's muse for all 4 of her films).

Though this Holofcener film is clearly not her most personal telling, it is (I feel confident enough to say) her most complex work to date, featuring various human truths so deep they urge forth refreshed exhales of satisfaction with how ever so skillfully they are revealed.

The performances here are great, as to be expected, but it's especially pleasurable to see Amanda Peet - so often underestimated by other filmmakers - given her just desserts in playing a character so hilarious, sympathetic, and despicable all at once.

For a large share of the Summer blockbuster junkies, "Please Give" would leave them with a feeling that "nothing happens". For the Autumn / Winter Indie crowd, however, "Please Give" has a lot to offer, especially for those looking for an abundance of cinematic substance so early in the year.