A simple favor review
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A Simple Favor
Lions gate
R. 119 min
I’m not sure if this film is going to capture enough attention to fill up seats or not. The reason I selected it for review is that first it’s coming out near the end of the season and usually the studios wait till then so the Academy doesn’t forget by Oscar time. Second it stars two women. No I’m not a huge fan of that particular genre but a woman in a starring role has got a better chance of an Academy Award nomination if for no other reason than there aren't all that many. As a matter of fact it stars two women Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively as Stephanie and Emily one of the most unlikely pairs of BFFs you will find in the movies. Stephanie is a widowed single mother who lives her life right out of the pages of Good Housekeeping and produces her own silly little video blog that centers on recipes craft kids stuff mom stuff, you get the drill. Sure it’s hokey but it’s also sweet. On the other hand there’s not a lot about Emily one would call Sweet. She is a hard edged PR director for a fashion company and all she has in common with Stephanie is that their kids go to the same Elementary School. Well maybe one more thing, both women seem to be attracted to Emily’s sexy but somewhat vapid husband . Through an after-school snafu and a playdate for the two kids the women seem to embark on a symbiotic friendship which takes a very strange turn when Emily disappears. Actually that’s where the Story begins, Stephanie recording episodes of her internet show and talking about the disappearance of her best friend. She’s also something of a natural busybody and takes it upon herself to make sure her pals child and sexy husband are looked after. (This is where I'd put the winky face by the way.) I won’t go into more detail but at this point the story becomes a little more serious interweaving actual danger and intrigue into the light-hearted open. You may think you have it figured out two or three times before it comes to an end but there’s a good chance you’ll be getting it wrong. There does come a point when you realize this isn’t a comedy anymore. Among the things I enjoyed about this flick is that it grows on you slowly and you barely notice by the time you were hooked. Another thing to enjoy is Kendrick’s adorable personality especially in contrast to the wicked Lively.
As I said I’m a little confused as to the target audience and also the poor job the ad campaign has done in describing the product properly. Hopefully word of mouth we’ll get some people into the seats. I think you’ll like this one
B+
WSS
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