“Please Give,” a comedy of awkwardness starring Catherine Keener, screens in Berlin

more images

more images

Keener, Holofcener present comedy in Berlin

BERLIN — Catherine Keener stars as a guilt-ridden antiques trader in U.S. director Nicole Holofcener’s “Please Give,” a comedy of very awkward manners screening at the Berlin film festival.

In the movie, which had its international premiere Tuesday, Keener and Oliver Platt play a couple whose business is sustained by buying artifacts from families of the recently deceased. Amanda Peet and Rebecca Hall also star.

Writer-director Holofcener (”Friends With Money,” ”Walking and Talking”) said of the subject matter that “we can find humor in almost anything — I try to.”

Keener said she thought her character in the film is a good person, although “I think the bar’s not very high for being a good person.”

The Berlin festival opened last Thursday and ends Feb. 21.