Review of Please Give (2010) by Joel M — 28 Nov 2011

Please give me a few minutes of your time to read my punhilistic review of the indie comedy "Please Give". Well-renowned Independent film director Nicole Holofcener has given us another fine character-driven talky film. Holofcener- regular Catherine Keener stars as Kate, a middle-age owner of a used goods store which she runs with her husband Alex. Alex and Kate have a teenage daughter named Abby who is going thorough the standard adolescent angst. Kate is a giver and has a habit of giving out food and money to the homeless. She is almost like a homeless person's "quasi-groupie"; sort of speak. On the home-front, Kate and Alex would give their right nostrils for their older geriatric neighbor Andra to give herself to heaven or hell, so they can then expand their apartment when the walls come crumbling down. The problem is that Andra is like an infinite android who is ha ha ha ha stayin' alive, stayin' alive; Andra is not the sweetest granny on the block either. Andra's granddaughters Rebecca & Mary look after her with random visits; Sweet Rebecca being more the caretaker and egocentric Mary being more a la Jack Nicholson caretaker in "The Shining". I would give you more subplot points of "Please Give", but I would then be giving you too much information and thereby would ruin the viewing experience of this enjoyable little movie. Holofconer, who also scribed the film, once again excels in writing engaging characters. Her direction was also very sharp. Someone please give this woman an Oscar nomination already! The "Please Give" cast was giving it, giving it, giving it right. The consistent Keener once again shined with her Kate work. Oliver Platt was hilarious as the clever Alex. And the sister act of Rebecca Hall as Rebecca and Amanda Peet as Mary excelled in their astute performances. Hall continues to impress with every role. Ann Morgan Guilbert was grand as the scene-stealer granny Andra. Sarah Steele was not exactly a scene- stealer, but she was very impressive in her first acting performance playing the "craving for $200 jeans" teen Abby. I also enjoyed the bit performances of Thomas Ian Nicholas as Rebecca's vertically-challenged new boyfriend, and of Lois Smith as his grandma. "Please Give" has all the indie film ingredients that gives it cinematic justice. And even though I have exceeded my punmeter in this review by giving you way too many undesired puns, I still do desire that you please give 90 minutes of your time with a "Please Give" experience. I do care if you don't give a â¦.. so please give it a chance!

***** Excellent.