Please Give (B or 3/4 stars)
'Please Give' (written & directed by Nicole Holofcener, Lovely & Amazing, Friends with Money) stars Catherine Keener as Kate, a New Yorker who runs a trendy furniture store with her husband, Alex (Oliver Platt). Where do they get their furniture from? Well, they run to homes of people who recently died & buy their sometimes-antique furniture from the families who have no more use of them. Their business is thriving, but Kate feels guilty. Guilt rules her life; even doling out $$ to the homeless in $5s, $10s & $20s. Guilt defines Kate's feelings about her ethics, her $$, her profession, her bitc*y, insecure teen's (Sarah Steele) materialisitc ways, her husband-with-a-roaming-eye, & her 91 yr. old next door neighbor Andra (Ann Guilbert) - who she & Alex would like to die soon, so they can take her furniture & expand their own apartment. They're not mean, just looking for their advantages.
Andra's unmarried granddaughters: shy mammogram technician, Rebecca (Rebecca Hall), & cold, provocative, perpetually tan health spa owner, Mary (Amanda Peet), know that Kate wants the apartment. So to keep things cordial btwn. the 2 sets of next-door neighbors, Kate throws a low-key dinner party & invites Andra & her 2 granddaughters over. Kate's nasty daughter acts up. Mary attracts Alex. Her starts flirting with her. Rebecca is slightly mortified (as she usually is, in life). Kate feels guilty about ... something (that's her m.o.). And for each character, the repercussions of this botched dinner party reverberate for the rest of the film. Themes of angst, companionship, deception, GUILT, & as always ... love ... play out with both biting humor & dramatic catharsis.
I really enjoyed watching 'Please Give'. The NY setting is interesting enough. I feel like I know these characters (their quirks, malaise, joys, everyday-ness). The situations that arise feel organic; & effortlessly funny. The script is intuitive of people, & what happens when life starts to get messy. My only problem with this film is that there isn't much of a story. I know, sounds ridiculous - how can a good movie not have much of a story, you ask. Well, as mentioned, the film gets so many things right about human nature & moral dilemmas that I just really found myself enjoying the situations, the characters, the acting, & to see what, if any resolution, comes to the movie before it's end. This is one of those movies where we must surmise what occurs for these people over the course of the film & after it's all over. That's not always fun. But for me, though I knew the film would end soon with no 'major' storyline in sight, I found that the ride was worth it.
I think that what we're supposed to take from this film is that some people impulsively give (like Kate, because she feels that she has the means and a 'right' to), & others compulsively take (like Kate's daughter, Mary, etc.). I also think it's about people second-guessing their own impulses (Alex having an affair, Rebecca to take a chance on a nice boy, played by Thomas Ian Nicholas). All of these characters are imperfect (about $$, their weight, their complexions, moral dilemmas), but they're still somewhat relatable. Some are 'nice', but dishonest, & vice-versa. Some do the best they can, others don't. That's why I liked this film, it showcases a splice of life. A meatier story would have helped. But then, given the nature of this film, perhaps it would have taken something away from it, as well.
Everyone in the cast imbues nuance & complexity to their roles. I question Oliver Platt's character actions, but he handles the material well. Catherine Keener nails (when doesn't she?) that 40-something wife/mom who is successful, but still unhappy & not sure why. She's feels guilty that there's poverty & sickness right outside her home. Rebecca Hall continues to impress me; & there's a genuine-ness about her character that I found very appealing. Amanda Peet really surprised me because she showed a great sense for comedic & dramatic timing that I never knew she had. And Ann Guilbert absolutely NAILS the old, cranky neighbor who feels entitled (because of her age alone), & doesn't realize she's offending people with her off-the-cuff remarks. Or maybe she does know {haha}. 'Please Give' is light on drama, but high on tone & spirit (my mom says it reminded her of Woody Allen fare). Short, sweet, uneventful, but solid.
Andra's unmarried granddaughters: shy mammogram technician, Rebecca (Rebecca Hall), & cold, provocative, perpetually tan health spa owner, Mary (Amanda Peet), know that Kate wants the apartment. So to keep things cordial btwn. the 2 sets of next-door neighbors, Kate throws a low-key dinner party & invites Andra & her 2 granddaughters over. Kate's nasty daughter acts up. Mary attracts Alex. Her starts flirting with her. Rebecca is slightly mortified (as she usually is, in life). Kate feels guilty about ... something (that's her m.o.). And for each character, the repercussions of this botched dinner party reverberate for the rest of the film. Themes of angst, companionship, deception, GUILT, & as always ... love ... play out with both biting humor & dramatic catharsis.
I really enjoyed watching 'Please Give'. The NY setting is interesting enough. I feel like I know these characters (their quirks, malaise, joys, everyday-ness). The situations that arise feel organic; & effortlessly funny. The script is intuitive of people, & what happens when life starts to get messy. My only problem with this film is that there isn't much of a story. I know, sounds ridiculous - how can a good movie not have much of a story, you ask. Well, as mentioned, the film gets so many things right about human nature & moral dilemmas that I just really found myself enjoying the situations, the characters, the acting, & to see what, if any resolution, comes to the movie before it's end. This is one of those movies where we must surmise what occurs for these people over the course of the film & after it's all over. That's not always fun. But for me, though I knew the film would end soon with no 'major' storyline in sight, I found that the ride was worth it.
I think that what we're supposed to take from this film is that some people impulsively give (like Kate, because she feels that she has the means and a 'right' to), & others compulsively take (like Kate's daughter, Mary, etc.). I also think it's about people second-guessing their own impulses (Alex having an affair, Rebecca to take a chance on a nice boy, played by Thomas Ian Nicholas). All of these characters are imperfect (about $$, their weight, their complexions, moral dilemmas), but they're still somewhat relatable. Some are 'nice', but dishonest, & vice-versa. Some do the best they can, others don't. That's why I liked this film, it showcases a splice of life. A meatier story would have helped. But then, given the nature of this film, perhaps it would have taken something away from it, as well.
Everyone in the cast imbues nuance & complexity to their roles. I question Oliver Platt's character actions, but he handles the material well. Catherine Keener nails (when doesn't she?) that 40-something wife/mom who is successful, but still unhappy & not sure why. She's feels guilty that there's poverty & sickness right outside her home. Rebecca Hall continues to impress me; & there's a genuine-ness about her character that I found very appealing. Amanda Peet really surprised me because she showed a great sense for comedic & dramatic timing that I never knew she had. And Ann Guilbert absolutely NAILS the old, cranky neighbor who feels entitled (because of her age alone), & doesn't realize she's offending people with her off-the-cuff remarks. Or maybe she does know {haha}. 'Please Give' is light on drama, but high on tone & spirit (my mom says it reminded her of Woody Allen fare). Short, sweet, uneventful, but solid.