Please Give

A tremendous leap forward for filmmaker Nicole Holofcener, Please Give follows several figures, including Catherine Keener’s Kate, Rebecca Hall’s Rebecca, and Oliver Platt’s Alex, as their lives intersect and collide in unanticipated ways over the course of several weeks. Holofcener’s tendency to eschew plot in favor of character development works far better here than it has in her previous endeavors, as the writer/director has populated the movie with a uniformly captivating selection of protagonists who inevitably become figures worthy of the viewer’s sympathy and interest. The ongoing emphasis on the various characters’ exploits is heightened by the efforts of a seriously impressive cast, with folks like Keener and Platt offering up career-best work in an endeavor that boasts strong performances from even the most minor of players (eg Ann Morgan Guilbert’s memorable turn as Rebecca’s cranky grandmother). And like Holofcener’s last movie, 2006’s Friends With Money, Please Give often feels like a cinematic cousin to Paul Thomas Anderson’s Magnolia – as the narrative has been populated with individuals that are all miserable in their own way (which consequently ensures that the film packs a palpable emotional punch as the myriad storylines are wrapped up). The end result is an authentic, consistently compelling piece of work that finally (and firmly) cements Holofcener’s place as a filmmaker worth following, with the movie ultimately standing as one of the most engrossing and flat-out moving dramas to hit theaters in quite some time.

**** out of ****