At first I thought Please Give was a dreary drama but upon learning it was actually a comedy, a genuine funny and understated comedy, I couldn’t help but go and see it. Coming out of the screen I was incredibly happy with the film, and find it hard to find fault with it.
Please Give is a quite beautiful moving and dark comedy following one woman trying to atone for the fact that she scams the families of the deceased in order to stock her vintage furniture shop. Catherine Keener plays the part well, gradually revealing the humanity in a woman we’d otherwise have no sympathy for.
Meanwhile her daughter is struggling with the way she looks in a very understated way, and towards the end of the film Sarah Steele plays a scene with no dialogue to help her which almost broke my heart. To say any more about that would ruin the film.
The third strand of the film is taken up by the elderly neighbour of the family who sold her flat to them so they can expand their own when she dies. Her two granddaughters, Rebecca Hall and Amanda Peet, often visit and take care of her and have problems of their own, but again I’ll stop short of explaining the entire film for you. Suffice to say that Hall and Peet play two wildly different characters with ease and extremely convincingly.
The entire cast, including Oliver Platt as Keener’s flawed but funny husband and Ann Morgan Guilbert as the elderly neighbour, take to their roles perfectly lending the film a very natural and believable feel.
While the film has it’s share of drama it is always very understated and the laughs are regular. In case you hadn’t realised yet I really liked Please Give; its got great actors doing great acting with a great script.
This film is good.
Mild Concern 