PLEASE GIVE 3.5 ***
This is an extremely well written and acted movie that showcases the imperfections of people, and the good and the bad of social situations and society as a whole. Catherine Keener's character and her husband (Oliver Platt) run a furniture resale shop. She carries an enormous self-imposed guilt in her because they stock the store by buying from family members stuck with deceased loved one’s things…furniture and all.. who have NO idea of its value . Keener and Platt buy on the cheap and then resell them to arrogant metrosexual types for many times the purchase price. Keener spends her time trying to scrape off the guilt by doling out money and doggie bags to the homeless.

There are many interesting characters in the film .Rebecca Hall (uptight Vicky from Vicky Cristina Barcelona) plays the dutiful granddaughter taking care of her 90 plus year old monster granny . Granny’s key job in the film is to get closer to dying so that Keener and Platt can take over her apartment and expand - the ultimate dream for a NYC resident. Hall's character is the budded flower - just waiting to bloom as soon as granny dies..

The mean-spiritedness of the grandmother is matched only by the vile spewing from Amanda Peet, , the other granddaughter who is self-centered and bitter. Peet's character often says just what she is thinking which adds a whole new dimension to most conversations! There are some terrific scenes and moments and characters in the film. Adding considerable to the mix is Keener/Platt's daughter, Abbey, who is a smart, insightful teenager. Oh, and she is also mad at the world and bitter about a zitty complexion and being slightly pudgy which makes finding the perfect designer jeans her ultimate dream.
This is an extremely well done film, a “Woody Allen” type film but better than most of his, especially as it reflects on NY City . It is very clever, funny, has great believable characters and provides an interesting and insightful look into the real doings of NY City life.
It has an “R” rating which is on the soft side.. some language and sexual situations… but a startling opening sequence of many, many breasts being Mammogrammed due to one of the granddaughters (Hall) being a technician for that procedure.
It’s an Independent film, so you have to hunt for it but it’s worth the effort.
Clark