Catherine Keener

Movies can often leave us feeling entertained, uplifted, silly — but it's not every day that you find one that makes you think. Enter Please Give, the latest from director Nicole Holofcener (Friends With Money, Lovely and Amazing). In a world of films with paper-thin plots, Holofcener once again raises her discerning magnifying glass, examining age-old themes of conscience and societal responsibility in a way that feels fresh.

At the center of her story is Kate (Catherine Keener), the owner of a high-end resale furniture store in Manhattan. She makes her living by, as her husband Alex (Oliver Platt) puts it, getting unusual antiques from "the children of dead people" and marking them up for a lofty price. She tries to overcompensate for her actions by passing out twenties to the homeless taking residence on her street. It's a give-and-take driven by her guilt that it drives her family crazy, especially teenage daughter Abby (Sarah Steele). Kate is complicated, flawed and often irritating, but for the audience her moral dilemma feels all too relatable — and it's pretty comical, too.

To see what I mean, read more

Kate Hudson took last night off from working on Something Borrowed to attend the Tribeca Film Festival premiere of her thriller The Killer Inside Me. She joined costars Jessica Alba and Casey Affleck, who brought his wife, Summer Phoenix. Jess was arm in arm with her own spouse Cash Warren, and was decked out in a boho-chic look for her evening off from serving as one of the festival's jurors. Abbie Cornish also made it out for her latest Tribeca event. Kate picked a black Louis Vuitton dress for the occasion, though her and Jess's characters in the movie wore vintage pieces from the '50s.

Kate's LBD almost encountered a major problem when a gust of wind rolled through and she risked a Marilyn Monroe moment, but Jessica was there to save the day. Meanwhile, the cast of Please Give headed out for their own press call. Catherine Keener, Oliver Platt, and Rebecca Hall joined new mom Amanda Peet — she and her husband David Benioff welcomed their second daughter, Molly, just eight days ago! On her baby's arrival, Amanda said, "So far, so good! She's great. I'm in love with her!"

To see more photos of Kate, Jessica, and Abbie at the premiere, just read more

When it comes to tackling human insecurities and modern-day relationships, writer-director Nicole Holofcener and Catherine Keener are a dream duo. With the past critical success of Walking and Talking, Lovely and Amazing, and Friends With Money to their credits, they're once again reteaming on the big screen for their latest collaboration, Please Give.

Keener plays a Manhattan-based mom grappling with her own conscience. A buyer of dead people's furniture, she resells the items at her high-end store, basically profiting off their misfortune. In an effort to balance out her own karma, she passes out $20 bills to homeless people, in part to teach her daughter the importance of helping those in need.

The trailer raises a good point — how do you buy your child $200 jeans when there are hungry people living on your street? Can you be a good person and be well off? It's subject matter to make you think, mixed with Holofcener's insightful humor. I'm also excited to see Amanda Peet and Rebecca Hall here, as the granddaughters of an elderly neighbor.

The film comes to theaters on April 30. Take a look and tell me your first impressions when you read more

The Sundance Film Festival comes to a close this weekend, but I've still got a few more movie goodies to keep you all informed. If you haven't already, check out my Sundance Snapshots covering movies from the likes of Josh Radnor to Ben Affleck to Ryan Gosling. For now, let's move on with the Duplass Brothers' Cyrus.

• Who's behind it? The film is written and directed by the Duplass brothers, Jay and Mark, who are no strangers to Sundance at this point. John C. Reilly, Catherine Keener, Marisa Tomei, and Jonah Hill make up the cast.
• What's it about? Reilly stars as John, a regular Joe (and self-proclaimed "Shrek") who's been a bit lost since his wife (Keener) left him seven years ago. He's skeptical about finding love again until he meets Molly (Tomei) at a party and forms an instant connection with her. Everything is going smoothly between the two until John meets Molly's 21-year-old son, Cyrus (Hill). Feeling very protective of his single mother, it isn't long before Cyrus starts sabotaging Molly's relationship with John. Check out the trailer right here.

To see how I feel about the film, just read more

Catherine Keener always looks fresh-faced and glowing, and lucky for us, celebrity makeup artist, Nick Barose, who did the actress's makeup at the Sundance premiere of Please Give over the weekend, has shared his tips for getting the look. "If the skin looks hydrated, especially in this extreme-cold weather, then the rest of your makeup will look great," he said.

To give Catherine's skin a healthy glow pre-makeup, he used Skyn Iceland Pure Cloud Cream ($75), and for the eyes, Barose left on the Skyn Iceland Hydro Cool Firming Eye Gels ($45) for 10 minutes to prevent creasing. To find out how to get the rest of Catherine's rosy glow, just keep reading.

There's been a bit of a controversy over how to market Spike Jonze's adaptation of Maurice Sendak's classic children's book, Where The Wild Things Are. Is it for kids? Adults? Adult hipsters?

The answer is anyone who wants to feel what it's like to be a child, and not in the fun-loving, no-responsibilities way. As adults, we tend to forget the insecurity and fears we had as kids, which the film's young character Max is in the throes of. There's just enough exposition before the fantasy begins: Max has a single mom (Catherine Keener) and an older sister who has recently outgrown him. His first few acts at home show his innocence and the savage emotions under the surface. He knows it as being "wild."

Where the Wild Things Are isn't a heavy-handed allegory, or an edgy children's movie; it's a loyal tribute to the way kids think and feel. To see what else I thought of the film, just read more

Behold, another project from a Friends alum: David Schwimmer will direct the upcoming film Trust, a drama about two parents dealing with the aftermath when their daughter becomes the target of an online sexual predator. Clive Owen and Catherine Keener will play the parents; newcomer Liana Liberato will star as their daughter.

This will be Schwimmer's second time in the director's chair, though the subject matter is a far cry from Run Fatboy Run. The plot sounds both intense and timely, and I have full faith that Keener and Owen will bring the required solid performances — especially after seeing Clive shine in a fatherly role in The Boys Are Back.

Are you glad that Clive is continuing to pick up deeper projects, or would you prefer he go back to playing the dark and mysterious guy we met in movies like Sin City? Be sure to check out my exclusive interview with Clive, and if you love Friends, explore the group dedicated to the show in the Buzz Community!

Blake Lively was one of the few ladies at last night's NYC premiere of Where the Wild Things Are. It's only Wednesday, but this was already Blake's second red carpet of the week after turning out to support boyfriend Penn Badgley Monday at his screening of The Stepfather. Blake was in rather impressive company, as Tom Hanks and Forest Whitaker also turned out to see Spike Jonze's latest film. Spike took his turn in the limelight to pose with the young star Max Records and author Maurice Sendak, who wrote the famous children's book on which the movie is based. The movie opens Friday — make sure to check out the latest trailer — and there is a huge promotional effort underway, including related lines of home furnishings, children's Halloween costumes, and even clothes for adults.

More photos from the premiere so read more