Please Give (2010)

This is the first film of Nicole Helenfcener's I've seen although I have watched episodes of television she directed.  I have to say I was impressed by her unique style and subtle way to move a story along but I was underwhelmed by this film's overall effect.   I'm not saying it's a bad film.  It's pretty good.  In fact I keep going back and forth on how good or great it is.  I liked the unusalness and bitchiness in each of the characters and I thought the dialogue was smart and memorable.  The problem really is the story which kind of goes nowhere.  I mean it meanders around and things happen but there are no real results to cap it all off.   Maybe this is good modern film making.  Maybe it's too lowbrow to want a bold climax at the end.   Catherine Keener and Oliver Platt play husband and wife who buy dead people's furniture and sell it for a profit in their store.  They own two apartments and are waiting for the old lady living in on of them to die so they can remodel and expand their house.   They encounter the old lady's grand daughters and comedy and awkward tension ensue.   Except I don't want to oversell the comedy, it is funny, it's just not laugh out loud funny.  Wit without the guffaw.  I'm going have to check out Helenfcener's earlier works to see how she has developed but I like what I saw.  Grade: B+.