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Tuesday, September 28, 2010

[6.25/10] Please Give (2010)


Please Give (2010)

"Please Give" revolves around Kate and Alex, a couple living in New York City, along with their daughter Abby, who run a successful store specializing in vintage furniture. They purchase the apartment next door in order to expand their two bedroom Manhattan apartment. Their only problem is the old cranky lady, Andra, living in it, and that they've got to wait for her to die. Andra is cared for by her sweet granddaughter Rebecca who has no life, and is blatantly rejected by her other highly cynical granddaughter, Mary. Waiting for Andra to die becomes complicated when the two families' lives intersect. Arguably, "Please Give" is a movie in which nothing really major happens. However, the characters are complex, multi-dimensional, yet imperfect, and they are those who drive the whole story, and they all do it perfectly. All the performances from the ensemble cast are truly great. Rebecca Hall's character, also named Rebecca, is a genuine, caring and sympathetic, and probably the most likable character of all, although I continue to think that Hall isn't as great actress, as everyone claims she is. Yes, she's good, but she still has a lot to learn. Keener is fantastic as Kate, the generous, compassionate and purehearted wife, and Amanda Peet as Mary, the seductive self-centered granddaughter is excellent in her role and pure eye-candy. Oliver Platt also delivers as Alex. The writing is top-notch and all the dialogues in the film feel very natural. However, the lack of story leaves you wanting more, and the tone of the movie is a bit grim and depressing, which makes it not that easy to watch. Although a bit moody and pretentious, "Please Give" is a well-made and brilliantly-acted character-driven drama that is worth seeing.

  • My Rating: 6.25/10
  • Rotten Tomatoes: 88% (7.5/10)
  • IMDb: 7.4/10

2 comments:

Andrew said...

It's always nice to find a good little drama like this one....
I'll check it out.

George Beremov [Nebular] said...

Andrew, it was all about the characters! Story-wise, however, it was rather mediocre. You should check it out. ;)