A Simple Favor is both Hollywood's latest attempt to cash in on the success of Gone Girl (see also Girl on a Train, Big Little Lies, among others) and comedic director Paul Feig's attempt to pivot somewhat from his usual genre into something a bit more serious than the likes of Bridesmaids or Ghostbusters. Does it succeed on either count? Yes and no.
The plot revolves around a somewhat naive and single "mommy vlogger"- aka a mom who makes on-line videos showing how to cook things, create simple arts & crafts, etc. - who finds herself becoming friends with a seemingly high-class fellow mom that is part of what seems to be an exceptionally rich power couple, and whose husband is a best-selling author-turned-college-professor.
Of course, things are not always what they seem, especially in movies like this. The former mom, Stephanie (Anna Kendrick) isn't as wide-eyed and innocent as she seems, and the latter mom, Emily (Blake Lively) isn't as well-put-together as she seems, and that includes her "perfect" marriage.
As the story continues, one day Emily asks Stephanie to pick her kid up from school and subsequently just disappears. Stephanie frantically begins to look for her, calling out for help via her vlog, and goes full Nancy Drew in an attempt to find her missing friend. When a body later shows up matching Emily's description, it would seem the story has reached an unfortunate conclusion- or has it?
Well, obviously it hasn't, or we wouldn't have a movie. I won't spoil it for those who haven't seen the movie, but I will say, from what I've gathered, the movie version is quite different from the book version, from author Darcey Bell, so even if you've read the book and you think you know what happens, you don't.
However, those of us well-versed in Film Noir and murder mysteries, a la Hitchcock and the likes of Diabolique (which is name-checked in the movie, BTW) can probably figure out at least some of it, if not all. Naturally, that's not necessarily a good thing, especially seeing as it also heads into distinctly hard-to-believe areas at times, especially towards the end.
So, really, the bottom line is: is it worth watching, even if you figure out some, if not all, of what's really going on before it's revealed in the movie? I'd have to say yes, on the strength of the cast and overall vibe alone. That said- full disclosure: I'm a massive fan of both Kendrick and Lively from way back.
Like most people, I first saw Kendrick in the Twilight films. While not a huge fan of those movies, I did think she was pretty adorable, and ended up following her career far more than any of her Twilight brethren, even through the likes of the Pitch Perfect films, which are not normally the kind of thing I'm into, as those of you who regularly read this blog are no doubt aware.
But fandom is a tricky thing, and it can often lead you down roads you wouldn't normally go down in a million years, and Kendrick is hardly the first example of that in my life. To name another, there's Lively. I was first introduced to her when I was assigned by my school newspaper to review, of all things, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. Much to my shock, it wasn't half bad, and I Ieft the film a fan of most of the girls, following them into various movies and TV shows from there.
In Lively's case, it was movies like Accepted, The Town and Savages, and, of course, Gossip Girl, which was basically Cruel Intentions, the TV show- only not quite that twisted, it being for TV in a time before things like that were acceptable, like they are now. The wonky ending notwithstanding, the show was a lot of fun, and solidified my fandom of Lively, who could be seen as playing a more grown-up version of her character there, Serena van der Woodsen, in this film.
So, given your respective fandom of either of the stars, your mileage may vary as to whether the film is worth your time, especially if you figure out what's going on, at least to a certain extent. I can't imagine anyone would see everything coming- there are a LOT of twists and turns here- but nonetheless, if you're not a fan of either Kendrick or Lively, you might not relish spending around two hours with either, as both are firmly within their respective wheelhouses.
That is to say, Kendrick does her cutesy, clueless, innocent waif shtick, which fans will find as endearing as ever here- especially with a little bit of kink thrown into the mix for good measure- but which her detractors will no doubt find grating and annoying AF. Ditto Lively, who could do the poor little rich girl thing in her sleep by now, no doubt, and not break a heel, nail or have one hair out of place in the process.
But there's no denying that Kendrick and Lively alike are perfectly cast for what the roles demand, and that they nail it throughout, even when things take a turn for the dark. At least those elements venture into areas into which neither of them have often tread, so there's that.
If you're a fan of either, then, the film will only serve to solidify that, while if you're not, you might just be surprised at how dark things get, and at the two actresses' willingness to go there, even if it isn't completely unprecedented, i.e. Gossip Girl for Lively and The Voices for Kendrick.
Yes, there's the much-celebrated girl-on-girl kiss, but I'm talking more about the fact that neither one is afraid of doing things that are downright unlikable, and yes, even borderline, if not outright, evil. It is a mystery-thriller, after all. So, weirdly, that may actually put off some of their fans.
Which brings me back to Feig. His motion picture directorial debut, I Am David, notwithstanding- which was an atypically straight-forward drama based on the book of the same name- this is his first foray into more serious waters in many a moon. While not without a sense of humor, obviously, the movie marks fairly uncharted territory for Feig, it being a Hitchcockian thriller and all. So, how does he do?
I'd have to say he basically nails it. It's pretty clear earlier on, and even from some of the poster art (see the one above in particular) what he's going for: a highly-stylized thriller with immaculate fashion and, a largely French New Wave-ish soundtrack (lots of Serge Gainsbourg, Françoise Hardy, Brigitte Bardot, France Gall, that sort of thing), and magnetic leading ladies that take center stage over any of the guys.
The latter point is, of course, par for the course with Feig, who is already known for having strong female leads in his work, but the other stuff is newer territory, and I have to say, it fits Feig like a glove.
Of course, if you've ever seen the guy, this should come as no surprise- he dresses like he's trying to give Tim Gunn a run for his money. This is just the first film I'm aware of where the material matches his own sense of fashion and style and general high-class aesthetic.
Although the end results don't quite reach modern-day-classic territory, it's a fun enough time-waster that should go down as well as one of those frosty martinis Emily loves so much- at least with people who like this sort of thing, or, like I said, are fans of either of the leads or even just Feig himself, to a certain extent.
It doesn't hurt that the supporting cast is fun- the first thirty minutes, featuring wise-cracking Girls vet Andrew Rannells, plays like a particularly ribald episode of the recent sitcom Single Parents (coincidentally featuring Lively's old GG rival Leighton Meester); while the latter section features fun bits with a knife-wielding Linda Cardellini (who worked with Feig back in the day on the short-lived-but-much-beloved TV show Freaks and Geeks) and a catty Jean Smart (currently experiencing a career resurgence, thanks to TV's Legion and Dirty John).
Add to that the two main girls' exquisite respective senses of fashion, which mesh perfectly with their given on-screen personas; the general art direction of the film- which is just as stylish as the girls- and that hip soundtrack, which also finds time for the likes of Cypress Hill, M.O.P. (if you ever wanted to see Kendrick rap along with "Ante Up," you're in for a treat)... um, The Brady Bunch(!), which is just fantastic, and you have pretty damn enjoyable flick that Feig keeps moving at a nice clip, even at a hair-too-long two hours.
It may not fool everyone, mystery-wise, especially in a post-Gillian Flynn landscape where people are getting more and more used to twisted plot turns and insane denouements, but it gets the job done, and everyone clearly had a lot of fun making it, which, in turn, makes it a fun watch for the viewer as well, especially if you like the people involved.
Check it out! 😎
No comments:
Post a Comment