by Emma Smith, Reporter
The heart of A Simple Favor is unquestionably the chemistry between stars Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick. This should come as no surprise to anyone who has seen the trailer for the film, or indeed anything else in which the actors have previously starred. Both lean hard into both the onscreen personas they have built – Blake Lively as the untouchable it girl and Anna Kendrick as the lovable klutz – and seamlessly integrate them into the film noir archetypes of femme fatale and perfect mother. In the midst of a plot that occasionally goes off the rails, these two keep the audience interested and guessing.
The plot follows Stephanie Smouthers (Anna Kendrick, Pitch Perfect), a lonely single mother, as she befriends the beautiful and mysterious Emily Nelson (Blake Lively, Cafe Society). Their sons become fast friends, and Stephanie is drawn to Emily and her perfect looking family: modern dream home, high powered job, and gorgeous husband (Henry Golding, Crazy Rich Asians). But cracks quickly show and soon Emily is missing and Stephanie is digging for the truth.
A Simple Favor is truly fun to watch. The stars can chew scenery with the best of them, and the supporting cast keeps up for the most part. Child stars Ian Ho and Joshua Satine are used sparingly but display an impressive emotional range. Henry Golding does tortured heartthrob quite well, and Andrew Rannells shows up for an entertaining turn as bitchy comic relief. The one miss was Bashir Salahuddin as Detective Summerville, though its hard to tell how much was the performance and how much was inconsistent choices written for the character.
While the writing and directing of the film are generally good, that type of inconsistency shows up in other places. The twists and turns are entertaining but lean a bit in the soap opera direction. It’s a little more Wild Things than Double Indemnity. Still the story stays enjoyable, and there is a liberal sprinkling of humor throughout. The team of Production designer Jefferson Sage, Art Director Brandt Gordon, Set Decorator Patricia Larman, and Costume Designer Renee Ehrlich Kalfus deserve credit for together creating a beautiful and immersive world. From closets to computers to buttons to tattoos, the surroundings play their own part in the story.
ComicsOnline rates A Simple Favor 4 out of 5 mommy vloggers.
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