A Simple Favor | Film Review

One may automatically presume a Paul Feig film to be comedic and light-toned in nature, given his past work with Ghostbusters, Bridesmaids, and Spy. However, having one that reaches the dark, murky depths of A Simple Favor might not be. Nevertheless, A Simple Favor captures the audience’s attention from fade-in to fade-out, exceeding all expectations.

Based on the novel from Darcey Bell, Stephanie (Anna Kendrick) is a needy, mommy vlogger with little social life nor interpersonal skills who sets out to uncover her best friend Emily’s disappearance. Emily (Blake Lively) has a demeanor, fashion, and quick-wit that are all entrancing from the moment her foot steps out of the car in the pouring rain. The two begin their friendship more or less by force from their children being friends, until one day Emily simply doesn’t return.

The film gives the audience breadcrumbs through every sequence in subtle ways, so that they aren’t unveiling the entire map with the answer circled in red pen. Much of this is credited to Jessica Sharzer who wrote the screenplay, as she is an absolute master with her craft. Her words hit every note with the appropriate level of tension, each beat rising and falling as they should, and dialogue that is so hilarious, you can toss your P90X aside because you’ll get your 6 pack abs before the credits. Honestly – I’m surprised I didn’t get physically removed from the theater for my witch-cackle laugh every few minutes.

Of course, a screenplay is nothing without its director showing up and making the magic perform – which Paul Feig does seamlessly. Each scene is at its peak, with perfectly timed, tension-driven music, camera angles that heighten every moment, and actors on their A-game with Sharzer’s wit-heavy dialogue. Oh, and ladies – if you’re into fashion, it’s got that too. Feig brings an already interesting and captivating screenplay to its fullest capacity, managing to amp up the stakes, even in scenes where you’re convincing yourself there’s no way “this” is going to happen, and then sure as shit, it happens. Feig captures the cast members with such perfection that each frame seems to blossom their very performance.

Now, the good stuff. Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick. I mean, how could anyone ever pass up a duo like this? Exactly, it’s impossible. The two shine, carrying an incredulous amount of chemistry together – it’s the perfect casting. Kendrick sets the stage with her ability to start as one character and swiftly morph into the next, while Lively is the person we’re bound to fall in love with before we even catch a glimpse of the second act. They’re both funny, charming, sexy, and masterful in their performances. As much as we could focus on Henry Golding doing a fine job in his role of being a questionable man, he’s definitely overshadowed by the Lively-Kendrick duo.

There’s little to seek improvement from in A Simple Favor, to be quite frank. There’s one side-storyline with Linda Cardellini’s character that seemed it could have been a little stronger, but not enough to distract you. They have the music, the script, the direction, the acting, and the thrills. There wasn’t a single moment where I felt bored, or that my attention wandered or was feigned. If you are looking for something a little different, not too predictable, but also not too over-the-top shocking – with plenty of humor and insanely heightened levels of beauty – this is the flick for you.

I’m already aching for a second viewing, or is that returning the favor?