Please Give (2010) R

Chances are you haven't heard of this film, but it was actually released on DVD this past Tuesday. I knew very little about it going in, and was pleasantly surprised at how funny and clever it was. Indie filmmaker Nicole Holofcener (Lovely & Amazing, Friends with Money) wrote and directed this surprisingly effective "chick flick." Although this isn't a chick flick, the trailers, the cast and the storyline make it out to be one. A tremendous cast is one of the main reasons this was an enjoyable experience. It's led by Catherine Keener (Into the Wild, Capoote); she's never boring and always interesting. She plays Kate, a wife and mother living in New York City. Her husband Alex (Oliver Platt), is a large man with a peculiar sense of humor and a lazy streak. Their teen daughter Abby (Sarah Steele) is angry at the world and her parents. She has low self-esteem and only seems to care about $200 jeans. Don't let the unusual opening credits throw you off.

We also follow Rebecca (Rebecca Hall), she visits her elderly grandmother Andra (Ann Morgan Guilbert) daily. She brings her groceries, cleans her house and does everything she asks. Andra is also Kate and Alex's neighbor. Rebecca's sister Mary (Amanda Peet) hates Andra with a passion. Mainly because Andra is an old, angry, messy, vulgar, unhappy woman.

Kate and Alex own their own vintage household appliance/furniture store. They go to houses of deceased people and buy their couches, shelves, lamps, chairs, paintings and tables for cheap. They then sell them for hundreds and sometimes thousands of dollars. You can't help but ask yourself if you could be that cold. But times are tough, right? To even the keel, Kate will give her leftovers to homeless people, after meals. She will also give $5, $10 or even $20 to random beggars. Abby especially hates this, because Kate won't even give her $20 for jeans.

Andra is turning 92, so Kate and Alex invite Andra, Rebecca and Mary over to celebrate. Kate and Alex are secretly waiting for Andra to croak so they can combine the two apartments. They all sit down for dinner and have an awkward, hilarious and drab conversation. Alex and Mary flirt with each other in front of everyone, but Kate just shrugs it off.

Rebecca and young Abby become friends and often have talks while they walk their dogs. Alex and Mary start an affair, which ends awkwardly. And Mary is possibly in the middle of a nervous breakdown as she searches for a way to help others.

After Mary forgets to bring Andra groceries, Andra dies. Rebecca blames Mary, but Mary could care less. Mary has a sad, joyless, meaningless life. Rebecca and Kate confide in each other. Will all these seemingly normal people be able to cope with reality or is their existence hopeless?

The dialogue is fresh and humorous, the performances are good, and although the characters are often vain and self-centered, there's a hidden message in here for everybody. Platt (The Ice Harvest, Frost/Nixon), Steele (Spanglish), Hall (The Town, Red Riding: 1974) and Peet (Identity, Saving Silverman) are all fantastic. But Keener is the big reason to see this film.

Josh Pais (Teeth, Adventureland), Lois Smith (Killshot, Minority Report), Thomas Ian Nicholas (American Pie, Rookie of the Year), Kevin Corrigan (Superbad, Pineapple Express) and Rebecca Budig (All My Children) all make small appearances along the way. If you like Indie films with a heartbeat or films with strong female leads, then I definitely think this film is worth a look. It's interesting, funny, creative and modern. Please give it a shot.
B-